


From Eden

by Raissassampaio



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Drama, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, F/M, First War with Voldemort, Fluff, Hogwarts Head Boys & Head Girls, Other, Romance, Sexual Harrassement, Some violence related to the Wizarding War, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, jily
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-05
Updated: 2018-09-19
Packaged: 2019-02-28 13:22:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 28,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13272303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raissassampaio/pseuds/Raissassampaio
Summary: James always thought Lily was the most magical thing about Hogwarts. Now they are both Head students and their world is in the brink of war.





	1. At the beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: The characters, places and anything you might recognize all belong to J.K. Rowling.  
> The songs and poems that title and acompany each chapter belong to those amazing artists as well.
> 
> Okay, so this is my first fan fiction and my first time writing fiction, and I'm nervous AF.
> 
> I'd like to give many thanks to my beta, Shivani, for her wonderful work. English is not my first language and any mistake is on me.
> 
> I'd like to dedicate this chapter to @elanev91, for her amazing incentive. Thank you for lending me your Gryffindor courage so I could publish this.

At the beginning, there was nothing but love and stardust  
My heart yearns to begin again - Atticus

 

The night before she came back to Hogwarts always left Lily Evans feeling anxious. After she had checked, for the third time, that nothing was amiss with the clothes and school supplies she had packed the day before, she fingered the trunk pocket where she had put her new Head Girl badge. Good, still there. The girl finally locked her possessions and ran a hand through her long red hair, sighing wearily.  
Everyone in the Evans household had already been asleep for a couple of hours, but Lily knew if she went to bed, she would just lie there, thinking about the many recent mysterious Muggle deaths attributed to “gas leaks” and “construction accidents”. She made up her mind not to think about that just now, not when she was in her little house in Cokeworth, it was nearing 1 a.m. and there wasn’t anything she could do help stop this war at the moment. Her mind jumped to wondering about the NEWTS, how she should enjoy this year because it was her last, how much she’d miss Hogwarts once she graduated, and how different it would be to be a Head Girl. That would mean trying – and probably failing, if she was honest with herself - to keep the Marauders in check.  
At least, tomorrow she would be back inside the castle walls. Besides, she’d get to see Aubrey Fairfax and Mary McDonald , who, albeit having become closer to her only after her fallout with Severus at the end of their 5th year, had quickly become very dear friends.  
In a state of insomnia, but determined to quieten her thoughts, the young witch decided to tiptoe to her living room and quietly levitate the television to her room. God (not Merlin, because Tuney resented everything magical) only knew what her sister would do if she woke up to Lily using a spell in something that belonged to the family.  
She placed the device on a desk in front of her bed and snuggled with her blankets while searching for her favorite channel, the one with the classic movies. The Philadelphia Story was on, and Lily relaxed in the charm and grace of Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn and James Stewart.  
It was almost halfway through the movie, and Lily was starting to drift off, when she saw the beautiful Katherine lean over James, almost as if kissing him, and whisper “The time to make up your mind about people is never”.  
* * *  
In a quiet room on the second floor of Potter Manor, a messy haired boy was feeling rather bored. He was lying on his bed, with his feet propped up on the headboard and legs crossed at the ankles while he played idly with a snitch.  
James Potter was not meant to stay inside, however big the house may be. The long summers at home left him feeling restless. He needed the disguised freedom of Hogwarts, with its hidden passages, secret rooms and big corridors. He wanted mischief, laughs and a good game of Quidditch. But most of all, he missed being with the Marauders. Sirius was actually sleeping in the next room right now, and while James’ vacation had certainly improved because of that, he hadn’t been able to see Remus or Peter since they last left King’s Cross.  
He caught the snitch again and wondered just how much of a Marauder he could be this year. His shiny Head Boy badge was still on his bedside table, along with the letter that was sent with it. The student population at Hogwarts was probably going to be really surprised when they found out. Truth be told, it came as a surprise to him, too, but he understood what it meant and he’d try hard to do a good job. He wondered if this year’s Head Girl was going to be her.  
His eyes travelled to the myriad of photos plastered on the wall he was facing. A 10-year-old James Potter riding piggyback style on the back of his father, while his mother leaned in for a kiss on his cheek. Peter, Sirius, James and Remus as 13-year-olds laughing in the Hogwarts courtyard. James and Sirius by the end of last year, drunk in the Gryffindor commom room after a particularly celebrated Quidditch victory. And a beautiful readheaded girl in a Hogwarts uniform, smiling softly at the viewer as she tucked a strand of stray hair and looked away. The sun gleamed behind and through her hair, making it seem like spun gold. It was Remus who took that picture about a year ago. She probably wouldn’t be smiling like that if he was the one behind the camera, but in the back of his mind, he still hoped he could change hers.  
* * *  
King’s Cross was a very noisy place on the weekends. Extremely crowded, too. Lily wondered if no one ever noticed that a large number of people seemed to mysteriously disappear near a particular section of the platform.  
She ran through the station, not used to being late, and rushed into Platform 9 ¾. She didn’t even look for anyone she knew, chosing to change into her school robes and dash for the prefects compartment so she could meet the Head Boy.  
She had occupied the corner and was rifling through her bag, when the compartment doors flew open and James Potter entered.  
“Oh, hi, Potter. What do you want? Are you looking for Remus?”  
“Hey, Lily... Actually-,” he answered regarding the Head Girl badge pinned on her unifom,“I’m looking for you. Well, not only you, but I guess it’s good that we are the first ones to arrive, huh?”  
“And just what do you mean by that? First ones to arrive to...?”  
“Er, the prefects meeting? Are you all right, Evans?”, he asked her, a winning smile never leaving his features.  
“I’m brilliant, Potter. Yes, the meeting is gonna start anytime now. I’ll appreciate it if you’re out of my hair by then. And if you’re assuming that we’ll let you tag along with Remus and stay here, I’m sorry, but the meeting is for prefects only- you know that.”  
“Well, yes, but I reckon you need the Head Boy to start the meeting.”  
“We do. And we will. Did Remus get the job? Is that why you’re here - to tell me something happened to him?”, she asked, a touch of concern now on her voice. “I didn`t think he’d get the job; he’s wonderful, of course, but... Well, we know he would often be unavailable...”  
“Lily?” He grabbed her by her shoulders and spoke patiently, looking into her eyes so she could finally understand. “I’m Head Boy.”  
But then she laughed at him, a disdainful scoff.  
“You? Head Boy? Oy, shove it, Potter. Dumbledore may be old, but he’s not barmy yet.”  
“You might want to reconsider that statement, because I really am the Head Boy.”  
Something in his voice made her cut her laughter short and look into his face genuinely. Her eyes travelled to the shiny badge on his shirt. He could have filched it from someone, sure, but his manner said otherwise. He was being serious. And she had laughed in his face and probably offended him. She hadn’t meant to – she had to admit he wasn’t the arrogant arse she thought before. Of course, he still played pranks, never had much regard for rules or authority, and still carried an irrational grudge against Slytherin. But the pranks were fewer, designed more to cheer up kids living in a world at war than anything else; and he even seemed to be taking some things seriously. But still, Head Boy? That had been a stretch, in her opinion. It was not an absolute shock though; the teachers had a soft spot for these boys despite all the ruckus they caused.  
“So... You’re really Head Boy, huh?”  
“Yep, I’m Head Boy. Sorry to disappoint you, Evans.”  
“No, no, look – I’m just... surprised, that’s all.”  
“I can relate to that feeling.”  
The silence that followed that statement was that unconfortable kind, the kind when two people don’t know what to make of each other. They had always been James Potter and Lily Evans – the talk of the school, their story accompanying them. For a couple of years, their dynamic had been based on a cat and mouse game, where she was chased – but hell if she didn’t chase (or yell) back. Last year, they began an unspoken, gradual truce with civil and even a few friendly moments. But to work togheter would be a challenge, and a challenge she couldn’t afford to fail at.  
“So, I guess we should start talking about work?”  
“Seems like a good idea. I brought the sheet with the bullet points for this meeting that came with the letter.” James answered, taking out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket.  
“Oh, good. If you are unfamiliar with something, I can explain it to you. I mean, you haven’t been a prefect before, and it requires a lot of organization and responsibility.”  
“I know, Lily. I am taking this seriously, you know?”  
“Okay, okay... Just making sure you know what the job entails.”  
By the time Lily was explaining to him how the patrol’s calendar worked, the prefects started wandering into their compartment. The first one to arrive was Dorcas Meadowes, the 7th year Slytherin prefect, a girl with shoulder length blond hair with a fringe and a round, upturned nose. Lily liked her – for the amount of time they had spent together, she had been very nice. Her partner, on the other hand, was Evan Rosier, someone who made Lily’s skin crawl in disgust. She remembered the way he and his friends were always muttering about “Mudbloods” and “the Dark Lord”. Remus arrived too, looking like he was on one of his good days. He waved to Potter and her, and she flashed him a huge smile in response. She truly adored him.  
Most of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were there too, and with the arrival of Paul McMillan and Jill Jacobs, they were a complete team.  
“Well, good afternoon everyone, it’s good to see you. For those of you who don’t know me, my name’s Lily Evans and I’ll be your Head Girl, and this is James Potter, our Head Boy. We usually start with the introduction of the newcomers, but I’d like to explain something first. There have been a few changes in this year’s prefects’ duties, specifically regarding patrol. To reinforce the castle’s security, we will now have two shifts of 1 hour and 30 minutes of patrol per evening, instead of only one shift of two. The Fifth years will only be allotted on the first shift. And remember, you are safe. There are excellent teachers patrolling the same corridors as you. This is only a measure to bring the students a sense of peace and show them that Hogwarts really is the safest place to be,” she said.  
“Also, if anyone here does not feel comfortable taking on these or any other obligations, please talk to Lily, McGonagall, or me. Do not hold it in, I’m sure we can work something out,” James added, surprising her.  
“Right, exactly. Please talk to us about any of your concerns.Anyway, at the end of the meeting you can fill up a sheet indicating your availability for the patrols. And with that out of our way,let’s start the introductions of our new prefects-”  
* * *  
By the time James and Remus reached the Marauders’ compartment together, they were already entering Hogsmeade. Sirius and Peter were playing wizarding chess, while the latter was also munching on some chocolate frogs.  
“Hey Prongs, how was the meeting with your lady love and work partner?,” mocked Sirius.  
“Yeah, how did Lily take the news about you being Head Boy? Neither of you was injured when I got there, so I took it as a good sign,” said Remus as he entered. He was the only Marauder Lily was truly friends with. She was nice, but not very close to Peter, and Sirius was tolerated.  
“It went as expected, I guess. She wasn’t very thrilled that I was her partner, but she didn’t scream or hex me, which can only be a good sign,” answered James with a humourless smile. He sat down next to Peter and took a chocolate frog from his stash. “And she’s not my lady love”.  
“Not for lack of trying on your part,” said Peter as they announced the arrival at Hogsmeade.  
“Too true, Wormtail. Too true.”, said Sirius.  
The train stopped and the Marauders climbed into the horseless carriages that took them (transported them?) to the school. James followed Sirius’ gaze and found himself looking yet again at a veil of red hair, but this time it was accompanied by a dark afro and a head of caramel coloured strands.  
“Well, well, isn’t Miss Fairfax looking very fair indeed?”, said Sirius, appraising the tall girl with the afro.  
“You’ve been making that same horrible pun for three years now, Padfoot,”responded Remus.  
“Hey, s’not my fault the girl keeps getting fitter.”  
“And the fact that Aubrey’s one of the few females in this school that doesn’t drool all over you doesn’t have anything to do with it, I suppose?”, inquired James.  
“Think you’re confusing me with yourself, mate. You’re the one that drools all over Evans because she hasn’t fallen for your boyish charms. I merely think Fairfax is hot.”  
“I do not drool all over Lily. At least, not anymore. And it’s not because she hasn’t agreed to go out with me – “.  
“Yeah, yeah, Prongs, we know it. We have heard it a few times, actually,” interjected Remus.  
“More like a million times,” completed Peter.  
“Yeah, well. Things are different now.”  
“I think we also heard that a few times as well.”, said Sirius.  
“Aw, Pads, don’t be mean. Besides, they have to work togheter now, and Lily won’t want to be expelled, which means she can’t kill Prongs here.” remembered Remus, putting his hand on James’ shoulder.  
“Thanks, Moony; many thanks”, replied James sarcastically.  
Just as they were finishing that discussion, they crossed the enormous doors to the main hall and sat at the edge of the Gryffindor table. After the Sorting ceremony, Lily and James were accompanied by Professor McGonagall while they escorted the first years to the Gryffindor common room. After that, the Professor led the Heads to their new dormitory.  
On the fifth floor, beside the painting of Caliope, the wise, there was a old, gilded mirror. The professor rested her palm on the surface of the antique object and looked into the eyes of her two students.  
“The password is Devil’s Snare.”, instructed the older witch as the mirror opened in front of them. “You should place your hand on the center of the mirror as you say it.”  
McGonagall gestured for them to go inside, and once they were in, she showed them their beautiful installations – a little comfy living room in Gryffindor colours, with a case lined with books and magical artefacts, a couch and some furniture in front of a cozy fireplace. A staircase took them to the two bedrooms with plain interiors but plenty of room and even a windowseat in the one that belonged to Lily. “We thought Mr. Potter wouldn’t mind. I hope it’s not a problem,” said the McGonagall, throwing a significant look in James’ diretion, to which he responded promptly with a “Not at all, Professor”.  
All he could think of was about how he would share such close quarters with the girl he’d been pining for forever during the whole year.  
“The rooms will adapt to your personality as you spend more time in them. Nothing fancy, but by the end of the first week you two will probably have more interesting installations. For tonight, that’s all,” said the professor before wished them a good night and walked away. As she was bidding them farewell, James could have sworn he saw a smile playing at the corner of the stern witch’s lips.  
* * *  
At breakfast the next morning, Mary McDonald, having already eaten, was putting Lily Evans’ hair in a ponytail, while she and Aubrey Fairfax filled their stomachs. It was their last first day of school and they were brimming with nostalgia. Beautiful Aubrey, with her bronze skin and her jet black curls, was the loudest one in the trio – a popular, pure-blood, quiddicth-player. Lily was one of the brightest witches of her age – gorgeous and kind, with a fiery personality and a huge heart. Between the two exotic beauties, was Mary McDonald’s delicate prettiness – petite where the other two were tall, sensible when the other two were more impulsive; sweet Mary was the balance of the trio.  
“How was sleeping in that big bed in the new dormitory, Lily?,” asked Mary.  
“Oh, forget about that, how has it been - the collaboration with your new partner, James Potter? And sleeping mere feet away from him, by the way,” teased Aubrey.  
“The bed is very comfortable, Mary. You two should come over on the weekend. And to answer you truthfully, Aubrey, I still haven’t worked that much with my fellow Head Boy. And that’s all I’ll say on the matter,” answered the redhead.  
“Don’t forget you’re not supposed to yell at him anymore. Now the guy has just as much authority as you do. Besides, it wouldn’t reflect very well on Hogwarts if their Heads were trying to take each other’s heads off,.” said Mary.  
“Oh, sweet Mary, Head Lily might want to take Head’s James head off; but Head James just wants to give Head Lily some head,” replied Aubrey naughtily. She and James were friendly – he was a distant cousin and Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, where she was a beater.  
“Ewww! Aubrey, please!,” cried Lily, trying to make a face of disgust despite the fact that she was obviously laughing at Aubrey’s terribly crude joke. “Can we stop talking about James Potter? I really don’t have anything to say about him.”  
“Sure. Just keep an open mind.”  
“An open mind? To what end, Miss Fairfax?”  
“To possibilities,” responded Aubrey seriously, this time. “You’re a very stubborn girl. As smart as you are, I’m sure you know that doesn’t lead to anything productive.”  
“Well, I appreciate the sermon. Can we please go to the dungeons now?,” asked Lily while Aubrey nodded and shoved the last piece of toast on her mouth.  
* * *  
The three girls sat in the front row and watched as the other students began to arrive for Potions class. It was a heavy start for the year – for every week from then on to put Gryffindors and Slytherins first thing Monday morning; specially amidst an on-going war concerning blood status.  
Slytherins already knew that the “Mudblood Evans” was the Head girl now. The Sytherin posse walked in interrupting Lily’s musings. They were the ones who called her dirty names, spit at her robes, and did much worse with those who couldn’t defend themselves. Axton Nott once squeezed her arse while holding her against a wall by the throat before she could reach her wand. He entered with Rosier, Mulciber, and Avery. They were the picture of privilege and cruelty, and Lily couldn’t help but feel nauseous whenever she sees them. She was not afraid of them, but she hated the very sight of them.  
Walking in behind them was Narcissa Black, Sirius’ first cousin; although for all she knew, in Sirius’ defense, the two didn’t speak. Incredibly beautiful, with her long silver hair, Narcissa was haughty and vain. Talking to her in an earnest tone, was Sylvia Parkinson. The two girls did not usually participate in any of the boys’ cruelty; but they don’t stop it either. After them, feet hurried as if he were in haste, head bent so his chin almost touched his chest; came in the boy who introduced her to magic, Severus Snape. His greasy long hair flew around as he scurriedpast the two girls to join the group of boys, and for a single moment, they locked eyes with each other. Just as quickly as it happened, they both looked away.  
“Are you still getting upset over that idiot? He’s not worth it, Lily, really,” said Aubrey, taking the other girl’s face in her hands. “C’mon, it’s a new year, our last one at that. Let’s make a happy start, shall we?”  
“Sure thing,” answered Lily smiling truthfully. She was eternally grateful for Aubrey and Mary and how much they helped fill the Severus-shaped hole that was left in her life. The girls were interrupted by the simultaneous arrival of Professor Slughorn and the Marauders. The boys crossed the classroom in a hurry, going for their cauldrons in the back of the room while the professor started preparing his materials for the day’s lesson.  
“Black and Potter are looking even hotter this year. How’s that possible?,”asked Mary, with an audible sigh.  
“If you think they’re so hot, why don’t you date one of them?,” said Lily.  
“Because Potter is still so clearly smitten with you that it’s just not right; and Black, well, Black doesn’t date properly, and I’m not sure I can keep myself emotionally detached. ”  
“Smart girl,” said Aubrey. “If only all of us applied such good logic to our dating lives, maybe –”  
“Good morning, class!”, started Slughorn. “Oy, Lily, m’girl! How was your summer?”  
“Very good, sir, very good”, she answered, laughing fondly at his obvious display of favouritism. “And yours?”  
“Oh, it was marvellous, child! I was visiting a former student of mine, Mr. Democles – he is now a potioneer, you see, and he is making the most wonderful research on a potion he’s calling Wolfsbane. It is supposed to relieve the symptoms of lycanthropy. Of course, it’s speculation at this point and it is a rather difficult task, but he was a brilliant student, that he was. You’ll get to hear more about it at the meeting, my dear. You will attend?”  
“Of course, professor.”  
“Poor Slughorn, he has a crush on Lily,” whispered Aubrey.  
“Wow, Aubrey, that was mean! He’s a sweet old man!”  
“He’s sweet to you. Because he’s got a crush on you.”  
“To be fair,” said Mary, “they’re all sweet to her.”  
“Lily, are you seducing all of our professors?”  
“I hate you, Aubrey, do shut up -”  
Meanwhile, Slughorn began the lesson. “Today we begin our journey into your last year at Hogwarts! And for that, we will be brewing a very special potion. Turn the book to page 165, where you will find the instructions for the Wiggenweld Potion!”  
* * *  
James had his hand on his chin while he was staring mindlessly and motionlessly at the green concoction in his cauldron for the last five minutes. Potions was never his favorite subject, and sharing it with the Slytherins did not make it any more pleasant.  
At last, Slughorn called it a day. James closed his books with a thud and took a deep breath, summoning his confidence – which was ironic after all those years she spent accusing him of having rather too much of it.  
“Hey, Evans!,” he yelled after her, and she turned her head in his direction, identifying his voice. She stopped just as she was exiting the room and waited for him to catch up to her spot near the entrance – he noticed that Mary and Aubrey kept on walking, right after flashing Lily huge smiles. That was nice. He knew he had Fairfax in his corner, she was his girl. But he barely spoke to Mary McDonald, and it was nice to know that at least she didn’t think he was a prick too. With that, he asked the guys to go ahead without him. Sirius and Peter sailed away almost knocking everything in their path, talking a mile a minute about some start-of-the-year prank they were planning to pull on the Slytherins. Only Remus paused and gave him a knowing look – sometimes he wished Remus wasn’t that smart. But he said nothing and walked away.  
“Could we talk? I promise I’ll be quick,” James asked her, a bit fearful of the answer.  
“Hmm. Yes, I guess. I take it you also have Charms next? Can we talk on the way?”  
“Sure, sure,” he answered, relieved. “So... we have to meet to do the patrol schedule, and I don’t know when you’re free.”  
“Well, does Friday night seem okay to you? Around seven ?”  
“Yeah, I can make it. Do we meet in our little commom room?”  
“Sounds like a plan,” she said, and he nodded in response. After a while of walking in awkward silence – lucky for him the castle was so big it took you long enough to get from one class to another – she said,“So...are you gonna say something? Because I don’t really believe that’s all about the patrol schedules, although they are important enough.”  
“You’re right, it’s not,” he confessed. “Look, Lily...,” he made a point of addressing her by her first name here. He wanted her to see that he truly meant what he was saying and he thought they were past the point where she would correct him. “The thing is, we are going to be working together through the whole year. We have to be a team. Particularly now, when everything outside this castle is going to pieces and everybody’s scared shitless. I know I am not your favorite person and we have had sort of an unusual dynamic through these past years. But I’m proposing we put that behind us. For the sake of Hogwarts, you know? Dumbledore is trusting us,”he said it in all in almost one breath. It would be difficult to be so close to the girl he had been in love with for so long and not do anything about it, but it was necessary. Besides, it may have taken him long enough, but he finally learned that asking her out mutiple times a day in an obnoxious fashion was not the way to Lily Evans’ heart.  
He heard her breathe a deep sigh, and then respond, “Okay.”  
“Okay?,” had he heard her right? He was hoping to convince her, but he was expecting at least a bit more resistence on her part.“Yes. You’re right. Dumbledore is trusting us and we do have to work together. It will be of no use to waste time antagonizing each other instead of functiong like the smart human beings I know we are,” she answered, pleasantly surprising him. “But if you start slacking off on the job, or abusing your privileges, or basically anything that goes against what you just said to me, I will Stupefy you. And do not get used to me saying that you’re right, because that’s always going to be an extremely rare occurrence,” she said with a smile. It was a small smile, not very noticeable, accompanied with a glint of mischief in her eyes. But he had spent enough time watching Lily Evans to know that it was a true one.


	2. Blends so well

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Full disclosure: the part about James' hair was inspired by a list of head cannons I found online. I really tried to track down the author of the list and even contacted someone on tumblr (but they never answered me, and I don't know if they were the original author anyway)  
> So if you do know the person responsible for it, feel free send this to them, and thanks to whoever they are. (and maybe a huge sorry if they didn't want me writing something inspired by it? I dunno)
> 
> Thanks to Shivani for her beta job again, and for tackling my ridiculous Word doc that still thinks I'm writing in Portuguese.

Are you not the slightest bit confused?  
Just the truth  
The speed at which we move blends so well  
It’s too soon  
Separate yourself from what compels you to relinquish us  
Push your weight on to me... entirely

Stay Away – Performed by The Honorary Title; Written by Jarrod Gorbel

The first week of Hogwarts flew by and before Lily was aware of it, it was Friday and she was waiting for James Potter in their little commom room. It was already 7:10 p.m. and she was trying to write her Charms essay while trying not to get mad at Potter. Aubrey mentioned they had Quidditch tryouts, and he was captain, but if he couldn’t make it, he could let her know, right? Just as she was preparing to gather her things and go to her room – let him knock on her door if he wants to when he arrives – the mirror dissolved to admit a running James Potter, and he had bubblegum pink hair.

Her little bud of anger forgotten, she started laughing loudly at him. “Potter -,” she looked sideways, covering her face with one hand while trying to regain her composure. But she was unable to help asking: “What’s with the hair?”

“Good evening to you too, Evans,” he said, sitting by her on the couch.

“Sorry about my manners, they seem to have jumped out the window when they saw a pink mop running in ten minutes late.”

“Ouch, I thought you were done hurting my feelings like that.”

“Sorry, I am, I am,” she answered, still giggling. “But anyway, what about the hair? And... Is that nail polish?,” she asked, taking his hand and noticing that his nails were painted a deep blue. All of a sudden, she seemed to realise what she was doing and dropped his hand immediately. What the hell was she playing at, grabbing James Potter’s hand? Had she gone mental?

She lowered her head, trying to let her curtain of hair hide the deep blush on her cheeks, and thank Merlin for small mercies, Potter must have sensed that and started talking rapidly.

“Well, first of all, sorry for being late. I’m really, really sorry; I planned everything just so I could be here in time, but unfortunately things did not go as planned. I hope you can understand, and it doesn’t mean I’m not commited, really,” he started telling her. Truth is, she wasn’t even thinking about it anymore.

“It’s okay, Potter. Just don’t make it a habit. Please,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“Sure thing. Now, to more fun subjects: the hair,” and as he said it, he ran his hands through it just like he did usually. “Aubrey probably told you we were having Quidditch tryouts this afternoon, right?,” Lily nodded. “Well, since Elsey graduated, we need a keeper. And let me tell you, it’s been one hell of an afternoon. One would think wizards just aren’t being taught how to play anymore! It’s disgraceful! Anyway, I was about ready to call it a day and reschedule another tryout, when this girl arrives. I normally don’t accept tardiness – I know, I know, don’t give me that look, Evans, I’m a very strict captain – but the girl said she had to accompany her little brother to the hospital wing and I thought it just couldn’t do any more harm, ya know? So I let her tryout, last one of the day. Maybe you know her. Anna Collins. Short girl, blond hair up to around her chin. Pretty face, kind of a tomboy?”

“A fifth year? Yeah. I’ve seen her around, but that’s it.”

“Yeah, that’s her. She seems nice. And even if she is not, I’m stuck with her, because let me tell you, Lily, that girl flew! She blocked almost every single shot King and Westwick threw at her! She’s small, but she’s very fast, she can get to the right place very quickly.If she consistently plays the way she played today, we’ve got this Cup in the bag.”

“Nice to hear it, Potter. Still doesn’t explain all of this –.” said Lily, making a general gesture in his direction and biting her bottom lip to keep her from laughing, “- though.”

“Right; yes. The thing is, right when we where exiting the field, that daft wanker Griffiths and his slimey Slytherin teammates saw that we had Anna with us as our new keeper, and he started this bloody stupid discussion, going on about how we would never win the Cup this year, cause there was no way a girl could be a keeper - ”

“What!? That tosser!”

“I know, right!? So the whole team is supporting Anna, protesting gender roles and pissing off Gerald Griffiths in one fell swoop by sporting pink hair until our game next week. It’s actually just our way of trying to make her feel welcome into the team and encourage her, and to take the pressure off of that encounter. She puts up a tough front, but your first day on the field can be nerve wracking.”

“That’s actually really nice of you...Wait, did you say the whole team is sporting pink hair?”

“Yes.”

“You convinced Aubrey I’m-so-sophisticated Fairfax to dye her hair pink for a week?”

“It wasn’t that easy, you know. She said she wasn’t going to look like she had cotton candy on her head. But in the end, I was able to show her it was in the best interest of the team. I am a very persuasive person, you know...”

She looked at him with incredulous eyes.

“Okay, okay, very persuasive to everyone but you. I can’t win with you, can I?”

“Nope,” she said, but smiled so he knew it was a joke.

“Fair enough. I’ll keep trying, though.”

“Fair enough,” she fired back, looking at him. Their positions on the couch hadn’t changed, but she was suddenly aware that they were closer to each other. She could see the flecks of green and gold in his beautiful hazel eyes behind his glasses,his crooked smile on his thin lips and the dimple on his left cheek. She looked at his big limbs and was reminded about how he was always moving like a crazy person when he was around the Marauders, running and goofing off, and you thought ‘that boy must be so clumsy’ , but then you saw him on the pitch and he moved with such grace and precision... That was one of the reasons why she got so mad at James Potter in the past sometimes. The boy had every single thing going for him: he was smart, he was handsome (even though she would never, ever, admit it to anyone, she could, just this once, admit it to herself), his friends would die for him and his teachers still loved him despite it all, and he came from a rich family of prominent purebloods. He could be so much...

“Hey, Lily? Lily?,” she heard him call her, interrupting her thoughts.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I guess I just got lost in my own head,” she said, embarrassed he caught her in such deep thoughts like that and praying that he hadn’t noticed they were about him. “So, shall we start with the patrol schedule?”

“Yes, let’s do that.”

“Oh, just one thing. I’ve invited Aubrey and Mary over. They must be arriving any minute now, actually. We’ll stay in my room, but I’m granting them access to the dormitory from now on, that is, if you don’t mind. I thought I should ask.”

“No, I mean, of course I don’t mind.”

“You can bring the Marauders here, too, you know.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Well, it’s only fair, these are your rooms too. I would appreciate it, though, if you would try to keep Sirius away from here when we have our N.E.W.T.s, as a personal favour to me.”

“Consider it done.”

“Thanks. So it’s a deal then. And now patrol...”

* * *  
The sun was rising shyly that saturday morning, painting his room with colourful lights as it streamed in through the mosaic window. James was sitting is his bed, already up, even though the game was not going to start for hours. He was was like this on game days: on the surface, he looked calm - he needed to be calm to lead his team, but inside, he was burning with energy, tightly coiled, dying to come out.

He impatiently dressed himself for breakfast, met the other Marauders at the common room entrance and they made their way down to the Great Hall.

“Hey Prongs. First game, huh. Feeling confident?,” asked Peter.

“Always, Wormy,” he answered smiling, taking his Snitch from his pocket and starting to play with it.

“And how’s the new girl, for real? Do you reckon she’ll hold her own on the pitch?,” asked Sirius.

“Yeah, I think she will. She definitely has the skills for it, she’s really good. If she doesn’t let her nerves or Gerald Griffiths get in her way, we’ll be fine.”

“So, is she pretty? And single?”

“Padfoot!”

“What!? These are valid questions. I know you don’t want her, you’ll be 50 and still pining over Evans. Also, I’m prettier and don’t have pink hair.”

“Mate, I can’t have you snogging or shagging my goalkeeper and then taking her head off the game completely. I don’t even have a reserve. And you’re most definitely not prettier.”

“Okay, okay, mate, I’m staying away from the girl. But you, prettier than me? Please, you’re delusional,” said Sirius, lifting both his hands as a sign of protest. They continued bickering in this vein as they wove their way into the Great Hall. Just as they crossed the doors to the Great Hall, James felt Remus’ hand tug on his shoulder and his friend said: “Lily." And it was her, sitting alone having breakfast, wearing a sweater over what looked like pajamas pants. Her bright hair was completely loose, threatening to spill all over the food – she looked like she could still be in bed. Maybe sensing that there were eyes on her, she turned her head and smiled at then.

“Oh, Remus, hi!,” she said, waving at him with enthusiasm. Great, he thought, the rest of us are invisible. 

“G’morning, Lily,” said Remus, giving her a kiss at her hairline.

“G’morning, love. G’morning, everyone. C’mon, sit,” she said, inviting then and making him feel a little less invisible but still nothing special.

“Wait, so does that ‘good morning, everyone’ includes my mate James Potter, here? Does that mean you’re warming up to him, Evans?,” asked Sirius.

“Yes, it does include him. And it means that I’m a polite person and he and I work together.”

“Cold woman,” said Sirius, to which Lily responded with a shrug. 

They accomodated themselves on the benches, Remus next to Lily and sitting across the table from the other two, James perched himself on one end, Sirius in the middle and Peter on his other side. The boys were ravenous, stuffing their plates with a variety of food that only Hogwarts could offer. Sirius was attacking the bacon and eggs, Peter was grabbing some sausages and toast, and Remus was having his customary hash browns. Only James was barely having anything, drinking only a cup of tea and picking at – but not actually eating – a piece of buttered toast. He could never get much food on his stomach before the games, he ran purely on adrenaline.

“You’re not going to eat ?,” said Lily, but he actually just heard her feminine voice mumble something while he was staring at his coffee, so he lifted his head to look at her.

“Sorry, what did you say?”

“I asked if you weren’t going to eat anything.”

“Not really. I can’t eat much before the games.”

“Oh...”

“Yeah... You’re not eating much either,” he said, indicating her plate, which contained a half-eaten waffle.

“I’m not that hungry either but I couldn’t sleep and I like waffles,” she answered, taking the piece on her plate and biting it. “Hey, how come you two never tried out for the team?,” Lily asked suddenly, gesturing towards Sirius and Peter.

“Who, me? I can’t be bothered, Evans. Quidditch is fine and all, but there are better uses of my time. It’s just too much of a hassle,” said Sirius.

“Besides, I’d never let Padfoot on my team. He lacks responsibility and commitment,” said James.

“See? Mr. Captain over here just takes away the fun of it,” Sirius pointed at James with his thumb.

“What about you, Peter?,” asked Lily, smiling at Sirius’ being so clearly bothered by the one aspect of life that made James Potter behave strictly.

“Well, I’m not a very good at flying. I can get around, but that’s about it,” answered Peter, embarrassed, his cheeks turning red. James had offered to teach him lots of times, but he always declined. 

“What about you?,” he heard Sirius’ voice by his side ask Lily. “Why haven’t you ever tried out?”

“Oh, I’m just not much of a sports person. I think I'd be rather horrid at it. I’m fine watching.”

“But you can fly?”

“Yes, I can. I enjoy it very much, actually.”

“She’s quite good at it, too,” added Remus, speaking in the conversation for the first time and totally surprising James.

“You do? You are?,” he babbled. He’d been in school with the girl for nearly seven years and she had never mentioned flying or anything else even remotely related to it. He assumed she was bad at it, or was afraid of heights, or simply didn’t like it. He also assumed that was the reason she didn’t play. Now that he was thinking about it, these were a lot of assumptions – but why hadn’t Remus metioned anything?

“You don’t need to sound so surprised, Potter. Yes, I can fly and I do love it. As for being good at it, I don’t know, I’m not one to judge myself. I suppose I can hold my own.”

“And you really never wanted to play?”

“Nah. I just don’t like the idea of a bunch of flying objects coming directly towards my face,”, she said, getting up from the bench.

“C’mon, Lily, I’d never let anything hit you!”

“And let our star player get distracted from the game because of me? No, thanks... Bye, boys, see you later!,” the girl said as she left the four boys in stunned silence.

“You know...I’m confused. I can’t tell if she was mocking Prongs or hitting on him,” said Peter after a while. The Marauders traded glances with each other, all seemingly at loss.

“Actually, Wormtail, me neither. Moony? You’re her friend,” asked James. Remus just looked at him and shaked his head.

“But hey, at least she’s warming up to you. If it was indeed mocking, at least she didn’t yell, or insult, or hex you...”

“Coming from the redhead, it seems almost friendly,” said Sirius.

“You lot are heartwarming, really, thanks for cheering me right up,” said James sarcastically.

“Anytime, mate, anytime.”

* * *  
The Gryffindor crowd cheered again, screaming, whistling and clapping; as the quaffle thrown by the Slytherin chaser Angus Lloyd ended up in Anna Collins’ small hands instead of passing through the hoops. The blonde girl’s face, usually set in a stern expression, was luminous with a smile and James couldn’t help but feel something like a fatherly pride for her. He zoomed by her as she threw him the Quaffle and smiled, carrying the ball across the pitch and almost getting knocked out by a Bludger sent his way by the furious Slytherin Beater. Cassandra Dawson, James’ fellow Chaser, claimed his attention from right under him, and he dropped the quaffle right into her hands, confusing the other team. Gryffindor was way ahead in the game. To the complete rage and desperation of Gerald Griffiths and the rest of the Slytherin team, the Gryffindors had scored 200 points against their 30. James took this single moment of quiet to sneak a peek at the stands – he saw Remus with his lion woollen cap, Peter with a “Go Gryffindor!” sign, and Sirius, who was shirtless and had a red lion painted across his torso. Everytime McGonagall looked his way, he zipped up his jacket. But when he searched for his favourite mane of red hair, he couldn’t find it. What claimed his attention instead was a bright pink dot, bubblegum coloured. It was Lily, her hair matching his and the rest of the team’s. He saw her and the other Gryffindors jump and cheer once again before actually realizing that Cassie had scored another goal for them. He saw Jonhston send a bludger right in his direction, but Callum Hart, Aubrey’s fellow Beater, hit it right out of the pitch. Suddenly, James saw Lydia Downes, the only female on the Slytherin team – their Seeker, dive in for the snitch. His Seeker, a fourth year girl named Celeste Bell , dived right after Lydia and started closing the distance. He seized the opportunity to steal the Quaffle from a distracted slytherin chaser and take it across the pitch to score another goal. Lydia and Celeste were almost neck to neck now, but Lydia ended up catching the snitch. Slytherin’s happiness was short-lived, however, because the final score still put Gryffindor ahead, with 220 points against their 180. The Gryffindor stands errupted in screams, but the only cheers James Potter heard were the ones coming from the three ridiculously dressed figures who invaded the pitch.

* * *  
Her nose was getting ticklish from being burried in a sea of black, perfect curls. Aubrey’s arms, strong and athletic, were hugging her waist in such a tight embrace, Lily kept being lifted from the ground. Mary came over and wrapped herself around Aubrey’s other side, and the three girls resembled a very happy knot of limbs who kept jumping up and down until one of them lost their balance, resulting in a collective downfall.

“May I just say that you played spectacularly well, my dear friend?”, said the redhead, from the floor of the Gryffindor commom room victory party.

“Yes, yes, you may,” responded Aubrey, always regal regardless of the circumstance.

“Couldn’t get the pink out of yout hair fast enough, could ya?,” teased Mary.

“Oh Merlin, don’t even mention it,” the girl rolled her eyes. “Although it makes me weep with joy to think just how much Gerard must be pissed right now.”

“They were humiliated on the pitch today,” said Mary.

“Oh, shush, they deserved it. They’re a bunch of wankers,” responded Aubrey.

“True, they are. Well, except for Lydia. She’s not that bad. I feel bad for her, I reckon the girl just wants to play and she has to put up with that lot if she wants to be on the team,” said Mary.

“Yeah, let’s not wish that fate on anybody,” said Lily, resting her head on Mary’s stomach.

“Anyway, I know why I had pink hair. The question, Miss Evans, is why do YOU have it?,” asked Aubrey, crossing over Mary to fidget with Lily’s still pink locks.

“I just thought it would be nice to support the team.”

“Do you feel supported, Aubrey?,” asked Mary.

“Oh, very much. Do you know who else I think feels very supported?”

“Who?,” asked Mary in mock innocence.

“James Potter.”

“You two are rubbish friends.”

“You wound us, Lily,” said Mary.

“Yeah, you love us.”

“Maybe, but that can be fixed,” mumbled Lily.

“Oh, I love that song!!!,” screamed Aubrey, getting up from the floor as an old Elvendork and the Wannabe Witches song started playing, pulling Lily and Mary up with her.

“Oh, ‘cause that love potion don’t work no more on me, baby!,” sang Lily, jumping on the sofa.

“Take your silly charms away from me!,” responded Aubrey, opening her arms wide and making dramatic gestures. The two of them pointed at Mary, who, albeit considerably more shyly than the other two, sang the next line of the song: “Cause now I know you’ve just been playing me, baby. No time-turner’s gonna fix it.”

“Remus, sing with us, honey!,” yelled Aubrey over the music, as the Marauders entered the room. Remus, James, then Peter and Sirius -the last two carrying some heavy-looking boxes – approached the girls as they also moved towards them, into a less crowded space.

“I don’t think I know the lyrics to this one!,” answered Remus, with a funny frown on his face, as he actually tried to remember the lyrics to the song.

“You’re an embarrassment to this House,” declared the brunette.

“Hey, Fairfax, watch it! This is Moony here we’re talking about,” said James. “No Marauder could ever be an embarrassment to Gryffindor!”

“Sirius,” interrupted Lily. “What’s in these boxes you and Peter are holding?”

“Boxes?,” the boy asked, feigning innocence.

“Yes. You know. These.,” she said, tapping her nails on each side of the box he was holding on top.

“Oh, these boxes. Why, you should have said. Nothing, really, just some Butterbeer.”

“Sirius, do I look stupid to you?”

“Lily Evans looking stupid? Never!,” he exclaimed theatrically.

“Open the boxes. You too, Pete,” Lily said. She was trying her hardest not to smile or laugh at Sirius Black’s stupid antics when she was sure she would have to reprimand him, but damn, it was getting hard.

“C’mon, Evans, is that really necessary? You see, we just want to have a little fun –“

“Open it.”

“Fuck. Open it, Pete,” said Sirius, with a big sigh, as he rested his boxes on top of nearby furniture. Peter put on an apologetic smile, and opened the one he had on his arms for Lily’s inspection – some bottles of Firewhisky, Gigglewater and indeed some cases of Butterbeer.

“Firewhisky? Really, Sirius? There are children here,” said Lily, pointing towards Anna’s 11 year old brother who was proudly beside his sister, celebrating her victory.

“Well, that’s not my fault now, is it?,” he answered, to which Lily just gave him an extremely pointed look.

“Ok, let’s try this again,” he said, passing his arm through Lily’s waist and leading her away from the middle of the group.

“He doesn’t really think he can charm his way out with Lily, does he?,” James asked Remus in a whisper. “Look, he put his arm on her waist, all chummy and all. She’s not gonna let him do that,” he said, just as Lily took Sirius’ arm away from her waist. “See! I knew it.”

“I dunno, Prongs. He is persuasive.” But Sirius put his arm aroud Lily again, and this time, she let him. The other two were close, gesturing wildly, and Sirius’ expression alternated between a cocky smile and actual seriousness. They started moving back towards the group, and their conversation could be heard again, when Remus and James heard Lily saying:  
“Ok, ok. But here’s the deal – you give it after around an hour and a half, and before that you lot make sure that every single student from first to fourth year is in their beds. Only then can you bring out the Firewhisky, and the Gigglewater – at that point, you can bring out meth for all I care.”

“What’s meth?,” asked a very interested Sirius.

“Nothing. And that’s a lie, you cannot, under absolutely any circumstance, bring meth to a party at Hogwarts. I’ll personally kill you.”

“But we can still have the other stuff, right?”

“Yes,” answered a smiling, placating Lily. “As long as you make sure there’s no one under 15 in the room, you can have the other stuff.”

“See!? I knew you and I could reach an agreement!,” he said, like an overexcited puppy, grabbing Lily and kissing her on the cheek. “You’re brilliant, Evans, brilliant. By the way, I don’t know what you’re talking about, Prongs. Lily’s not difficult at all, the lady’s lovely,” said Sirius, tapping James on his shoulder and leaving everyone – except James and Lily – laughing.

“I’m gonna pretend you two -,” she said, indicating James and Remus, giving them a pointed look, “ – as Head Boy and Prefect didn’t even know about this.” 

“Oh yes, no idea,” said Remus, lifting his hands in the air in a false gesture of innocence.

“Absolutely, none,” agreed James, arching his eyebrows and shaking his head.

“Even you, Brutus?,” she said as she touched Remus’cheek in mocking disappointment, but smiled at him all the same. He just shrugged his shoulders and smiled even brighter at her. She was the only one outside the Marauders for whom he sometimes reserved that unabashed, unapologetic smile and she prized that.

“All right, you lot,” said Aubrey. “The girls and I are gonna dance. You behave. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t!”

“Don’t you think those two kind of exclude each other?”

“James Potter, you filthy liar!”

* * *

“Hey, Prongs?,” said Sirius, his voice echoing through the empty Commom Room. The party had been over for a few minutes now, and only the two boys were there, cleaning up what was left behind. Or so they thought.

“Yeah?,” answered James, looking at his mate while gathering some empty bottles.

“Is that a person?,” he said, pointing in the direction of the long window seat across the room. At first, James didn’t see anything. But them he noticed that was because whatever that was, it was completly covered in Gryffindor’s customary red blanket, which blended perfectly with the upholstery on the seat and the curtains. 

“You mean that lump over there?,” asked James. Sirius nodded and walked slowly towards the unidentified object. He carefully lifted the blaket and discovered a soundly asleep Head Girl.

“Shit, it’s Evans!”

“Lily?”

“You know any other Evans?”

“Arse,” said James. “Do you reckon she’ll get mad if we wake her up?”

“How on Earth should I know?”

“That’s fair. Just do it then. We can’t leave her here.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. Who do you think she’s less likely to yell at?”

“Ok,”, agreed Sirius with a sigh, “but then I’m leaving you with her. I’m kind of pissed.”

“Yeah, sure,” answered James. 

Sirius got down on his knees, his head on the same level as Lily’s, which was now uncovered, and started nudging her gently on her shoulder.

“Lily. Lily. Hey. Lily, hey. Wake up,” he said;she only started opening her eyes at his last words.

“Black?,” she said, confused, as she tried rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “Why are you waking me up?”

“Cause you slept in the Commom Room, and that’s not appropriate Head Girl behavior now, is it? However, I’m willing to overlook it this time, in favour of the wonderful time you provided us tonight by allowing our beverages to be consumed. Now, I’m a bit buzzed, so I’m leaving you with my mate Prongs over here,” said Sirius, as he grabbed James by the shoulder from behind him. “Try not kill him.” And with that, he walked a bit wobbly up the stairs to his room.

“Can’t believe I actually fell asleep,” said Lily. “How embarrassing.”

“If it’s any consolation, I don’t think anyone actually saw. You were wrapped up pretty tight there,” said James. He hesitated a little, but then: “Can I ask you why?”

She had sat up and he had sat down next to her. Lily looked at him helplessly, as though she didn’t have the answer and was hoping he could provide it, and they both fell into a fit of laughter.

“Well, I felt I had to make sure Sirius didn’t torch the place.”

“You’re too responsible for your own good, Lily Evans.”

“Sometimes. It’s no fun, but someone has to do the job.”

“And what happened to Aubrey and McDonald? Did they just let you sleep there?”

“Oh, Mary went to sleep ages ago, she’s such an early bird. And last time I saw Aubrey, she was shamelessly flirting with Emmeline.”

“Vance?”

“Yeah.”

“Nice.”

“Oh Merlin, guys are such dorks!,” said Lily, laughing and hitting James in the arm.

“We still have some Butterbeer, do you want some?,” he offered her. They were talking, he was making her laugh, and they were both aware of that. If she said yes to the beer, that would mean she was saying yes to spending more time with him now. She could see the glimmer in his eyes, hopeful and beautiful; and she decided that she could always put the beer down later if she wanted to.

“Sure, why not?,” she said, and the smile he gave her was so impossibly charming that she instantly regretted being there. What was she thinking! He brought two bottles and opened them, handing her one of them, and keeping the other for himself. Instead of seating next to her like before, he pulled a chair and set across her.

“By the way, nice hair, Evans,” said James, touching gently the end of one of her long, still pink, locks. She swatted his hand away.

“Well, it wasn’t for you, Potter, don’t be delusional. It was for the team, you know!?,” she answered, reclaiming her hair from James’ possession and blushing a little. 

Since when did Potter made her blush? On that note, she should probably return her hair to normal already. She took her wand from her pocket and remedied that situation, hoping that the fact that she was a redhead again would stop all the blushing.

“Yes, I know. Still, it was pretty cool of you. Speaking as the captain of the team, we really appreciate it. And speaking as James Potter, I think it was a pretty awesome thing to do.”

“Er, well, thanks,” answered Lily, taking a sip of her beer. She didn’t know what to do when he was being so nice. She knew they had agreed on a truce, but being tolerable and being pleasant were two very different things. 

“I’d really like to see you fly someday,” said James.

“I barely ever do it. I don’t have a broom. Not all of us have rich families who can buy us whatever we want, you know?,” said Lily, a hint of spite in her voice, that went away as soon as she saw James’ eyes turn huge. “I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry, I didn’t mean it like that,” she apologized, touching James’ forearm, which she also stopped doing as soon as she realized what she did. “I’m sure you’re parents are lovely people. They’d have to be, for taking Sirius into their home like they did. I only meant that, well, you’re very fortunate to be able to have the things you want, and not everyone is.”

“I can see what you mean, Evans, and don’t worry, I’m not offended. And I do realize that I’m very lucky. But just so you know, I don’t think money is that important. And I don’t have everything I want,” Lily felt he directed that last part specially at her. She breathed heavily and the silence between them grew awkward.

“And I can always take you for a spin whenever you want,” he completed, relieving the tension.

“I thought you wanted to see me fly, not take me for a ride!?”

“Maybe I want both.”

“Greedy much? I thought you said you’d stop hitting on me!”

“I’m not hitting on you.”

She threw him an incredulous look.

“Yeah, ok, I am a little. Sorry.”

“I think we should go to sleep.”

“You’re upset?”

“Nah, just afraid we will both end up like red lumps in the Gryffindor Common Room.”

He laughed. “C’mon, let’s go then.”

They walked the short distance quietly, the silence between them not entirely confortable, but no longer awkward. They had passed through the mirror and said their goodnights, James was already opening his bedroom door when he heard Lily’s voice.

“James?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re an alright guy,” she said, closing the door behind her, not even giving him the chance to respond.

* * *  
The only sound you could hear from the 7th year boy’s dormitory was Peter Pettigrew’s snores. Even so, James Potter braved the silence, walking carefully so as not to disturb his mates any more than necessary, and felt his way aroud the dark towards his best friend’s bed. He sat down at the edge of Sirius’ matress, and didn’t have any trouble waking him up, as his friend was a very light sleeper.

“Hey, Pads.”

“What you’re doing here, mate?,” Sirius didn’t feel bothered at being woken up by James. He figured it must be something important.

“Sorry to wake you. Just had to talk to someone.”

“What happened?”

“Lily.”

“She didn’t hit you, did she? I thought you two were getting along better,” asked Sirius. He was frankly a bit tired of his best friend’s fascination with the girl. He couldn’t understand why James would choose to continue to be rejected by Lily instead of going out with the dozens of willing girls in Hogwarts. But still, James was his brother, and if he needed someone to listen to him talk about the redhead in the middle of the night, Sirius would do it without complaints.

“We are, we are. She didn’t hit me. Actually... She was really nice to me. She laughed at my jokes. She called me James. And she even said I was “an alright guy”. That’s a good thing, right, Pads!?,” asked James in an excited whisper.

“Really? She did all that?,” asked Sirius, surprised. It was no secret to anyone that they weren’t fighting anymore, but Lily being actually welcoming of James advances, even if she didn’t mean it in a romantic way, was another thing entirely.

“Yeah. I even flirted with her a bit and she didn’t get mad,” said James, to which Sirius threw an incredulous look. “I swear. I mean, she made it clear she wasn’t flirting back, but she wasn’t mad either.”

“Well, good for you, mate. I mean it,” said Sirius. He did. He could see the smallest gestures from the girl could make his friend incredibly happy; he just really hoped she wouldn’t break his heart. James talked big but he was soft, the softest of them all.

“Do you think there’s a real chance she might like me?,” his friend asked.

“To be honest? I don’t know. But if I were you, I’d keep doing what you’re doing now, ‘cause that seems to be working a helluva a lot better than what you were doing before,” he said.

“Yeah. You’re probably right. Thanks, Padfoot,” said James, squeezing his friend’s shoulder and finding his way in the dark towards his old bed so he could lie down.

“You’re welcome, Prongs. Now let me sleep, will ya?”

What James and Sirius didn’t know, however, was that they weren’t the only ones who were awake that moment. Remus Lupin was having trouble falling asleep, as he had many nights. He hadn’t meant to, but he heard James tell Sirius about his conversation with Lily, and about how nice she was to him. He also heard Sirius give surprisingly good relationship advice. And then he fell asleep with a smile on his face because, in Remus Lupin’s opinion, if two people deserved each other, those two were James Potter and Lily Evans.


	3. Mad Girl's Love Song

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My many thanks to Shivani for being an awesome beta!
> 
> I hope you like this chapter, because it was super fun to write.
> 
> Comments make me happier than cake.

_The stars go waltzing out in blue and red,_

_And arbitrary blackness gallops in:_

_I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead._

_I dreamed that you bewitched me into bed._

_And sung me moon-struck, kissed me quite insane._

_(I think I made you up inside my head)_

Mad girl’s love song – Sylvia Plath

 

 

The fat drop of dark ink fell from the inkpot she was holding, staining the expensive linen of her bed. She ran her long fingernail through that spot, liking the way the sheets absorbed the liquid – it reminded her of blood.

Her musings were interrupted by a polite knock on the door, followed by the entrance of her husband, a well-groomed man in his late twenties.

“Bella?,” he said, his body just halfway into the room, his hand still on the doorknob.

“Yes?,” she answered, lifting her eyes for a second from the papers on her lap.

“Dinner is ready.”

“I’ll be downstairs in five minutes. I’m just finishing something.”

“Sure,” he nodded, and then closed the bedroom door, leaving her alone again.

Rodolphus Lestrange was a good husband to her. That didn’t mean Bellatrix loved him. No, she felt for him a sort of respectable indifference. Their newlywed bedroom held no marital bliss – the only time the two of them had had sex was on their wedding night. She had refused further contact and he hadn’t tried making any other advances. If he had any sexual urges, Bellatrix supposed he took them elsewhere, and she did not care. But she was _happy_ \- or as close to happy as someone like her could be.

Being a Black, it was expected of her to marry a pureblood boy from a traditional, respectable and, preferably, rich, family. The prospect of marriage might have never excited her; she was not a silly little girl, prone to believe in romances, but the idea of staying in that dreary house, with her violent, sexist father and her depressed, submissive mother was even less appealing. So she waited for someone acceptable to come along, meanwhile having fun driving away all the suitors who came attracted by her dazzling beauty and ran frightened by her sharp claws.

And then came Rodolphus – who was not frightened by her, nor was terribly irritating or domineering. And, most importantly, he had the family name and wizard blood. So young Bellatrix Black became Bellatrix Lestrange, and discovered that she actually thrived in married life with Rodolphus. He did not seem to mind her steamrolling personality, not questioning or complaining while she took the lead in most decisions regarding their lives. He was calm and collected while she was breathing fire. She never came to love him, but she could admit they made good allies. And it was also through Rodolphus that she met _Him_.

Her husband had come home one rainy Wednesday evening and asked her if she wanted to attend a dinner party – he always asked, never commanded or assumed she would go. This invitation made her curious, so she donned a fancy dress, pinned her raven curls in an updo, and told her husband to lead the way.

They arrived in front of big, ornate iron gates, which she discovered led the way to a winter property of the Nott family. They reached the main house and entered, the wizard at the door recognizing Rodolphus, asking him some sort of silly password that she could not recall, and accompanying them to the big, sumptuous, but poorly lit and seemingly abandoned dinning room. She must have met about twenty wizards that evening; some she had encountered before, spoken politely to in family gatherings, others she had never even heard of. But what truly mattered was the moment _He_ came into the room.

He was tall, thin man - older than Bellatrix, although she couldn’t say by how much. He had a gaunt face, with sharp edges sticking out of his cheekbones and red-rimmed eyes. But underneath his weathered face, she could see that he had beautiful features. She also found him very charming, enchanting, _magnetic_. Whenever he spoke, Bella found herself hanging onto his every world. His very presence affected everyone around him, it changed the atmosphere of the room – he exuded power, commanded attention. She had never met – and never would meet – a wizard like him.

When the meal was over and everyone had broken up into smaller groups, her husband led her to him and made the introduction that would change her life.

“Good evening, My Lord,” Rodolphus said, greeting him deferentially. “This is my wife, Bellatrix Lestrange, whom I’ve spoken to you about. Bellatrix, dear, this is Lord Voldemort, our leader for the pureblood cause. I’m sure you’ve heard him say wonderful things tonight.”

“Rodolphus,” he greeted her husband in return. “What a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Lestrange,” the wizard said with a barely-there smirk on his thin lips.

“The pleasure is all mine, My Lord,” answered Bellatrix. “The words you’ve spoken today during dinner have truly moved me.”

“Well, I’m glad. We can use more wizards and witches of fine lineage who are passionate about the cause. I’m sure your husband can tell you a bit about our plans,” said Voldemort. “She seems like a smart woman, Rodolphus. And a true beauty.”

But even as he said it, Bella noticed – to her frustration, perhaps for the first time - that his eyes went right through her, as if he could see she was beautiful in a theoretical way, but it did not really affect him at all.

She also went largely unnoticed as she started to attend the meetings regularly. They dinned, they drank, he made speeches and they talked politics and strategies. Bellatrix, as a new member, was not privy to any of the main discussions. Sometimes, she wanted to run – she could be many things, but never invisible. But she always stayed.

And then, one day, the Dark Lord announced that at their next meeting he would be holding a duelling competition to see how they would fare on the field in the case of a battle, and the young witch smiled to herself.

At their next gathering, while the rest of the crowd watched in a circle, sixteen wizards presented themselves for the duels. She saw Lucius Malfoy, her sister’s long-term boyfriend. Her husband was there, looking bland and poised as always. Most of the others were older men, respected heads of the pureblood families – all of them were male. She looked at the faces of these sixteen men as she nominated herself the 17th competitor and thought about how she would defeat them all.

And so she did.

As powerful and well trained as some of them may have been, they were not prepared for Bellatrix’s raw drive. She was so quick – she did not duel like she was fighting, she duelled she like she was dancing, like she could never get hurt. Against these men’s calculated moves, she was simply, but nevertheless smartly, ferocious. One by one, she beat them all. A childhood filled with Cygnus Black’s hexes had some use after all.

When it was over, she was the only one left standing in the circle, sweat gluing her curls to her forehead, her chest heaving. She looked over at her beloved master, to see if he had any qualms about her defeating the heads of some of the oldest and _respected_ pure-blood families. Instead, Lord Voldemort looked at her and shot her a wicked, satisfied smile. She began laughing, a small chuckle escaping from her lips at first, and then growing, until she threw her head back and laughed madly, the sound echoing through the halls.

After that day, she never went unnoticed again. Lord Voldemort called her aside and started giving her lessons, teaching her hexes and spells. She immersed herself in the Dark Arts, looking forward to the days she’d spent with him in dimly lit rooms, being shown things she had never dreamed of before. He started asking her opinion on small things, she started being included in his inner most circles and trivial decisions.

And now, for the first time, he had given her a mission. He explained to her that they needed to start recruiting young people to their cause – healthy bodies, willing to fight. But they had to make sure these people were trustworthy. And he was counting on her, who was young and loyal, to start recruiting some Hogwarts students, right from under Dumbledore’s nose. He wanted to make the castle crumble from within. And he wanted Bellatrix to help him do it.

Lord Voldemort knew she had a sister still in school. Maybe he thought Bella could use her to get some influence or information. But perhaps that wasn’t the best idea. Little Cissy – as fond of her as Bella was, and, yes, she did have her head in the right place, not like mudblood lover Andromeda – did not like to get her hands dirty. It mattered not. She knew whom to contact there. So she dipped her quill in the ink and started writing:

 

_The time has come for you to take your place in our war against blood-pollution and the destruction of our wizarding values. The Dark Lord honourably requests you to join his ranks. Meet me in the Hog’s Head next Saturday, October 3rd, at 11 a.m. for information on your first mission. Do not speak of this to anyone; I hope I do not need to remind you of the consequences of such a betrayal._

                                                                    Bellatrix Lestrange

 

She duplicated the letter and attached them to Rodolphus’ owl so they could reach their destination. As she got dressed for dinner, Bellatrix watched the bird flapping its wings in the night sky as it carried her words to the enchanted castle.

* * *

 

The Slytherin dormitory for the 7th year girls was usually a quiet place – for that reason, if for nothing else, Narcissa felt blessed she had not been sorted into Gryffindor or even Hufflepuff. And that night, due to whatever lucky alignment of the stars, she had it all to herself.

The young witch pulled up the hem of her silk nightgown – no flannel pyjamas for her pale, soft skin – until they were right below her breasts and stared at her body in the mirror. She put her hands over her stomach, noticeably flat. She knew there was nothing to see there. But she also knew it was only a matter of time. There was no _If_ anymore, it was only a matter of _When_.

She already felt a bit different. Her breasts, still small as they were, felt really sore. She started getting tired much more easily than usual. And then, last Thursday, she fainted right into Professor Sprout’s arms in Herbology class, which landed her in the Hospital Wing.

Madam Pomfrey was the official bearer of the news. And the truth was that she probably should be feeling desperate, maybe sad, or embarrassed, at least a little insecure, but she was not. She was _happy_. A _baby_. There was life inside her body, life that was made from love.

Narcissa let go of the hem of her nightgown, allowing it to cover her beautiful, delicate body. Her bare feet trod softly on the hardwood floor to her single bed, identical to the other three in the room, only distinguishable by her few possessions on the nightstand. She sat with her back to the bedpost, hugging her knees to her chin with the covers warming her up. The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black would not tolerate the shame of an unmarried teenage pregnancy. Her mother would weep, and cry, and fall into despair, locking herself up in her bedroom, starving herself until her father would be angry enough to order her to stop with the nonsense – and she, such a dutiful wife, would instantly dry her tears and put on a smile. And her father, he would slap her in the face first – _such a little whore she was, getting pregnant before marriage!_ Then he would remember that was a Muggle thing to do, and he’d probably try to _Crucio_ the baby out of her. Her mother would watch, suffering, wanting to stop it, she knew, but not really doing anything. No, she would not tell them. Let them discover it when it could not be helped.

She thought of her sisters, her darling sisters, with whom she used to be so close in the past, the people she shared so much with. The two girls – now women – used to protect young Narcissa from Cygnus’ rage and Druella’s incompetence. Bella would defy their father, stepping in front of the curses he threw towards her and Andromeda. Narcissa knew she did not do it out of altruism – her oldest sister always had a dangerous, taunting nature, but the result was that she did protect them all the same, and for that, Narcissa was grateful. Andromeda would act as the mother, as much as her small age difference from Narcissa allowed. For every little thing that went wrong, Druella would not be seen around the house anymore. It was up to the three children to fend for themselves, and Andromeda was the one who made sure little Narcissa was fed and bathed.

But once they started going to Hogwarts, and their world got bigger, the fights started. Bellatrix wasn’t simply volatile anymore, she was violent now, cruel. She enjoyed suffering. And she held the ideals of blood purity with which they were raised in such high regard that she wanted to exterminate almost everyone. Not that Narcissa liked to mix with muggleborns or muggles. She did think it was important to preserve the values of their families. She just did not think it was necessary to go to such extreme measures.

Andromeda, on the other hand, went quite the opposite way. She started befriending wizards and witches from all sorts of backgrounds. When Bella asked her what she was doing, she answered that they were just like them. In her seventh year, she started dating Ted Tonks, the muggleborn whom she married a few months ago, and Bella refused to talk to her since then, which Andromeda accepted without question. She and Narcissa had a few, short conversations after the wedding, always filled with tension and dashed expectations.

So, in addition to her parents, she couldn’t go to her sisters either: as much as she loved Bella, she’d simply not understand; and as much as she still loved Andromeda, who might understand better, they did not have a strong relationship anymore, and she couldn’t afford to be tainted by her sister’s associations.

So the one person she could go to was the other person involved in this: Lucius. She remembered when she started noticing him, towards the middle of her Fifth year. He was a year ahead of her, a handsome, quiet lad who seemed to draw the attention of all those around him. At first, Narcissa took it as a challenge to get the good-looking, smart Slytherin boy to notice her and become attracted to her. It wasn’t very hard; she knew men thought she was beautiful, and with Lucius Malfoy it wasn’t that different - soon enough, he was politely flirting with her in the halls. What she didn’t expect was how quickly she would fall in love with him in return. He was so gentle with her, treating her with such care and concern, actually spoiling her sometimes. It was not what she was used to, and she could not help but let her affection for him grow. By the end of the year, they started dating seriously. The fact that he was such a good match, from a pureblood family with money and influence was a joy to the Blacks and it put her heart at ease with her choice. They loved each other and all was well.

So Narcissa could not be sad for the fact that there was a baby in her belly as a result of that love. It might be too soon, it might not be ideal, but _he_ or _she_ was there, and she could already feel so much love for such a tiny thing. She had always wanted to be a mom, swearing that when the time came for her to raise her children, she would make up for all the hurt and neglect she had suffered throughout her childhood. The obstacles that came her way right now did not matter; she would fight for this miraculous little being growing inside of her.

So the one thing left to do was to tell Lucius that he was going to be a father, and she had no idea how he was going to take it. The witch got up from the bed and opened up the drawer of her study table, taking out some ink, parchment, and a quill. She sat there and willed the right words to come to mind, but there weren’t any, so she wrote plainly, but resolutely:

 

_Lucius, my dear._

_We need to have a talk. There’s something I need to tell you, and it’s important that I do it in person. Could you meet me for lunch next Saturday in Hogsmeade, at the Three Broomsticks, around 1 p.m.? Please write back as soon as you can, Love._

                                                                             Yours, Narcissa.

 

 

Narcissa took the parchment and stuck it into an envelope – it was too late to go to the owlery. Right now, she’d try to get some sleep, but she just might spend the night rehearsing the upcoming conversation with her boyfriend in her head.

 


	4. Girls of the Wild

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to my beta Shivani, for being lovely.
> 
> Comments are better than cake :)
> 
> Find me on [tumblr](http://raissassampaio.tumblr.com/)!

_They won’t tell you fairytales_

_of how girls can be dangerous and still win_

_they will only tell you stories_

_where girls are sweet and kind_

_and reject all sin._

_I guess to them_

_it’s a terrifying thought_

_a red riding hood_

_who know exactly_

_what she was doing_

_when she invited the wild in._

Girls of the wild – Nikita Gill

 

“Bree, honey, I think you just broke poor Remus’ nose,” said Mary. It was time for breakfast on Monday morning and the Gryffindors were sitting together at their house table. Aubrey, excited over some news she read in the Daily Prophet, squealed and opened her arms wide, smashing her fist into Remus’ nose with a loud noise.

“Oh, I’m so, so sorry! Is it terribly bruised?,” asked the brunette, trying to assess the damage while the boy held his head back and pinched his nose.

“Nah, you just have those strong Beater arms,”he answered, with a nasal voice. “It’s okay, I’m fine,” he let his nose go and breathed gently. “See, it’s not even bleeding.”

“Aw, sweet Remus,” said Aubrey, laying her head on his shoulder for a second as a gesture of affection.

“Anyway, what made you almost knock out old Moony over there, Fairfax?,” wondered Sirius’ voice from across the table, his eyes still puffy from sleep and his long hair in a state of atypical disarray.

“Oh! See...,” the girl grabbed the paper and opened it to the page she was reading before, intent on showing them what had grabbed her attention. It showed a large moving picture of a rock band, with a headline that read: _Elvendork and the Wannabe Witches continue their tour – next stop: Hogsmeade_. “Elvendork’s gonna play in Hogmeade! Next Saturday! Merlin, it’s so close to us!”

“Oh, can we get tickets? Can we, Prongs? Can you get us, tickets?,” asked Peter excitedly.

“Anyone can get tickets, Wormtail, you just have to buy them, mate,” answered James, laughing at his friend’s excitement.

“Well... Why don’t we really go?,” Sirius shrugged his shoulders.

“Are you serious?,” asked Lily.

“You know I am, Evans,” he said, mocking her with a dazzling smile.

“Oh God, no more “Sirius” related humor,” mumbled Remus, putting his hand on his forehead, to which Sirius acted hurt.

“Anyway, I am serious. Why can’t we go? Seems like everybody here really wants to, am I right? Isn’t that one of you favorite bands, Evans?”

“Well, yes, it is. But even though it might be nearby, it’s not actually in Hogwarts itself. And I don’t know about you, but I don’t fancy swimming to the other side of the lake; there’s a chance I might not survive that, you know? Also, even if we knew how to magically get out of here, McGonnagall might notice both her Head students are gone, and there’s a slightly higher chance I won’t survive that either,” said Lily.

Sirius looked around to face Remus, who nodded lightly, and then Peter, who shrugged his shoulders in a “why not?” gesture. He turned to his side to face his best friend, and sure enough, he had a small smile in his face. Sirius knew he would never disapprove of anything that involved Lily Evans. He put his elbows on the table, rested his chin on his crossed fingers and said to the redhead across the table: “What if I told you that no magic, and almost no effort was required to get to Hogsmeade?”

She looked at him with doubtful eyes. “Is your friend messing with me, Potter?”

James lifted his arms, claiming innocence. “He’s telling the truth.”

“I am telling the truth!,” Sirius exclaimed. “You will learn that, at the right time, I’m actually a very trustworthy person. Of course, your little disappearance act is a problem I cannot solve. Maybe you should get some of the prefects to cover for you and Prongs, I dunno. But I say, live a little, huh?!”

“That Paul guy from Hufflepuff seemed pretty cool. And maybe that blond girl you always talk to after the meetings? Dorcas?,” suggested James.

“Meadows? You’re gonna trust a Slytherin, mate?,” asked Sirius, surprised.

“I dunno, Lily seems to trust her. She seems nice.”

“Yeah, well, no offence to Evans over there, but she trusted Sniv-“

“Do you guys really know how to get there, safely and undetected?,” asked Lily, interrupting the conversation before it got pointless.

“We do,” answered James and Sirius in perfect synchrony.

“We’re Marauders, after all,” said Remus, with a finality that caused her to have an epiphany They were. Lily sometimes almost forgot that the shy boy who was friends with her was part of that band of mischief makers. And if he could trust them, well, maybe so could she. _Live a little, huh?!_ She smiled mischievously and announced: “So, I guess we’re going to a concert, huh?”

* * *

\- Tuesday, 11:15 a.m. – History of Magic classroom –

 

Hey, Lil. Pay attention to me. – AF

Not very hard. I’m struggling to pay attention to Binns as it is. – LE

Do you think Vance is straight? – AF

AW! How cute. I have no idea, though. Do you want me ask around? Rohan Patil, our Ravenclaw prefect, is pretty good friends with her. – LE

NO! Merlin, that would be embarrassing... – AF

Look at her all worried... – MM

Yeah, who would say... I can be subtle though, honey. No one needs to know it’s you who’s interested. – LE

Like the walls in these castle don’t have ears... Thanks, Love, but I think it’s safer if I try to figure it out for myself. – AF

Didn’t you spend a whole night flirting with her? Couldn’t you tell if she was interested in you? – MM

I did! But I don’t know if she was just being nice, you know? There weren’t many clear signals. – AF

Humm, I see. Does she like music? Why don’t you ask her to come to the concert with us? – LE

That’s a pretty good idea. The guys wouldn’t mind, would they? – AF

\- receives simultaneous glares from both Lily and Mary -

Just tell James to add another ticket to the list already – MM.

* * *

The rhythmic tap-tap-tap of her heeled foot on the wooden floor was the only indication that the perfectly prim girl was impatient. Lucius was not late yet, of course – that was no habit of a gentleman – but Narcissa simply saw no point in wandering around the old familiar village amid the throng of overexcited Hogwarts students and chose instead to sit and order some tea while she waited for her boyfriend. They saw each other less and less these days since he had graduated last year and she did miss him. Soon enough though, Lucius’ shining crown of silver hair was passing through Madam Puddifoot’s door, and his hungry eyes searched for Narcissa, who waved timidly.

The young wizard crossed the room and kissed her, wrapping his arms around her tightly for a moment as she stood up to greet him.

His tall, imposing frame looked impossibly out of context in that doll house-like place.

“Hello, Darling,” he started, once they sat down. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” she answered, with a smile she reserved just for him.

“It is really good to see you. But I was very surprised by that letter. You made it sound like something is the matter?,” he asked, curious about the actual reason he was in Hogsmeade. From what he knew about Narcissa, she was a very rational person, and if she felt the need to summon him to Hogsmeade, then it was probably something important.

“Well... I guess it will depend on your perspective,” she said, sighing deeply and looking him straight in the eye. “I’m going to be very upfront with you, Lucius. I’m pregnant.”

His grey eyes widened and his thin mouth slacked as he stuttered in surprise. “P-p-pregnant? But how- how could this have happened?”

“I dare say you know _exactly_ how this happened,” Narcissa answered, a flash of anger blazing in her steely blue eyes.

“Yes, yes, sorry, Darling. It’s just, we’re usually so careful, I was just surprised. Forgive me.”

“It’s okay, I understand,” she said, softening instantly. “Apparently we weren’t careful enough. I was just as surprised as you. But I have to tell you something else, Lucius. I am having this baby. If you don’t want to be involved in it, well, I suppose I’ll be sad but I won’t hold it against you. But this baby is my son or my daughter, and I am taking care of it,” she announced.

There was something different about her in that moment, something in the way she held her chin high – not with the usual empty pride, but with a fierceness that made her beauty quite poignant.

Lucius could see then that what she said was absolutely true: that his perfectly proper girlfriend was ready to do whatever it took to protect the child in her belly. _Their_ child.

“Narcissa, love?”

“Yes?”

“I was not prepared to have this conversation with you, so I apologize in advance. I will have to send for Mother’s ring and then have it fitted for you, if you’ll have it, of course...,” he started rambling.

“What are you talking about, Lucius? Please focus.”

“Will you marry me, love?,” he asked her, hastily getting down on one knee, as he thought she would like that.

“What?,” she whispered, exasperated.

“Well, it’s a simple question, really. I know you know what I mean, because one of the reasons I love you is that you’re a smart woman, and even these idiots from the other tables have grasped my meaning, as they are starting to stare. I do hate this place, I don’t know why you insist on coming here.”

Despite herself, Narcissa started to laugh. “Get up, you fool,” she said, covering her pretty mouth with her small hand. As Lucius sat again, she intertwined her fingers with his and asked, “Are you only doing this because of the baby? Because I appreciate it, but you don’t have to. We don’t have to.”

“No. Well, it did speed things up a bit. But we we’re going to get married anyway, weren’t we? At least I wanted to. Want to. I know that sometimes I may not be the most romantic person in the world, Darling, but I do love you. You are very beautiful, and clever... You are all I ever wanted,” Lucius said.

“Then it’s a yes,” answered the pretty witch, brushing a runaway tear from the corner of her eye.

“Good,”, said Lucius, smiling. “Now you can get out of that awful school already.”

“What?,” she asked, blinking rapidly.

“Well, that place has turned into a bit of a joke, don’t you think? Dumbledore, the old codger, has allowed all sorts of people to study and even teach there! A school full of mudbloods doesn’t desserve so much credibility, if you ask me...”

“Yes, I see your point, dear, but I don’t want to leave it now. I want to finish my education,” Narcissa said.

“Are you sure? I really don’t know why you need to graduate. It’s not like you’ll need to get a job once we get married,” sighed Lucius.

“I’m sure, Lucius,” answered Narcissa, with certainty in her voice. She might never need a job in her life, thanks to the Malfoy fortune, and she was very grateful for that. But, Merlin forbid it, things might not always be the way they were right now. What if Lucius just woke up one day and decided he had enough of her? What if they lost all their money somehow? “It’ll be quite fine. Graduation is less than a year away.”

“All right, then. I suppose this is your decision to make,” , he acquiesced. “Just bear in mind that you can leave and be with me any time you want.”

“I know, dear,” she said, smiling and reaching for his hand while she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

* * *

     “Can I get you anything to drink, babe?,” said Mulciber to the beautiful ginger-haired girl who had just sat herself unceremoniously at the table where he and Nott had been sitting for the past twenty minutes. He had received Lestranges’ letter with interest and eagerness – he could barely wait to join the ranks officially; he was done playing children’s games. When he arrived at the Hog’s Head that day, he noticed his friend there too, and through a very convoluted conversation, they both discovered they were there for the same purpose: to wait for Bellatrix and her instructions.

        So when the witch sat at their table, Mulciber probably shouldn’t have let himself get distracted, especially since the next words that came out of her mouth were: “It’s me, Bellatrix, you daft idiot.”

“Oh, fuck. I’m sorry,” said Mulciber apprehensively, while Nott laughed, snorting Butterbeer through his nose.

“How charming,” Bellatrix rolled her eyes at the pair of them. “It’s comforting to know the Dark Lord has so much to look forward to regarding the competence of his followers.” The irony dripped from her tongue.

“Oi! Did you came here to complain about us or to give us something to do?” demanded Nott.

“The later, I suppose. The Dark Lord wants you in his ranks. He just requires you to perform a simple task to prove your loyalty to him,” Bellatrix explained.

“And what would that be?” asked Mulciber.

“You have to kill a Mudblood, of course,” she answered. The two boys looked at each other, and then at the witch in front of them, who had a sadistic little smile playing at the corner of her lips. They had never killed anyone before, even if it was only a lowly Mudblood.

“Does it have to be anyone... specific?” Mulciber asked again.

“No. Why? Do you have anyone in mind? Any “special” little Mudbloods who needs to learn their place?” wondered Bellatrix.

“No, not really-,“ Mulciber started to answer, before getting interrupted by Nott, who suggested: “What about Lily Evans?”  
“Lily Evans? Are you crazy? Snape is going to kill us!,” said Mulciber.

“Snape is not even going to know about this. Besides, he hasn’t spoken to her in what, two years? Do you think he still gives a shit if she lives or dies? He said so himself: she’s a filthy Mudblood. He’s on our side,” defended Nott.

Bellatrix raised her hand, stopping the argument between the two boys: “And just who is Lily Evans?”

Mulciber sighed.

“She’s our Head Girl. Can you believe that? Hogwarts Head Girl, a Mudblood! The little cunt acts like she’s better than us.”

The witch snatched a Butterbeer glass from a passing tray and took a long sip from it, a thoughtful expression on her wild eyes.

“You know...,” she said, pushing the glass back to the other side of the table, a wicked smile on her lips. “I think I just conceived a way to make this a whole lot more fun.”

 

 

 


	5. Seeing Stars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, lovelies. I decided to be back really soon.
> 
> A big thanks to Shivani, for always correcting my mistakes, having amazing insights and being super patient about my habit of putting the full stop on every dialogue haha.
> 
> Also, I write this story because I enjoy it and love these characters so much; but I share it here in the hopes that someone else will love it too. So if you have left me kudos or, especially, if you've left me a comment know that you have made my day! :)
> 
> Find me on [tumblr](http://raissassampaio.tumblr.com/)!

_Maybe it's the English summer_

_Maybe it's the atmosphere_

_But it's got me seeing stars when I'm with you_

_Maybe this is all theatrics_

_Maybe it's very clear_

_That I'm tripping over your every single move_

The English Summer –Written and Performed by The Wombats

 

“Wow... It’s very ‘Gryffindor’ in here, huh?”, said Dorcas, her eyes wandering around every inch of the little room.

“Yes,” Lily laughed. “I guess, with the two Heads being very proud Gryffindors and all...”

The two girls were sitting across from each other, on opposite ends of the Heads’ common room couch. They had returned from their day in Hogsmeade a few hours ago, and while the Slytherin prefect looked prim and proper with her Hogwarts uniform, ready for patrols; Lily was dressed in a t-shirt, denim shorts and boots. She did not look prim and proper, or ready for patrols.

“Can I ask you something?,” asked the blonde girl, sitting on her legs.

“Sure,” Lily answered.

“Are you two going on a date?”

“What? Me-me and James? Going on a date? No. No. No. Not at all,” the redhead said nervously and categorically.

Dorcas lifted her hands as a peace gesture, a small smile on her face. “Hey, I was just asking. You two seem to be getting along a lot better, and we all know he has always fancied you. Since when do you call him James, anyway? I thought he was ‘Potter’!”, the girl exclaimed, mimicking Lily’s derisive tone.

“Hey, knock it off, Meadowes, or I’m taking points off from Slytherin from insubordination,” threatened Lily, all the while laughing at Dorcas’ impression of her.

“So no date, huh... Too bad, I was rooting for it,” shrugged the blonde.

“Sorry to disappoint. If I tell you where we are going though, do you promise not to tell anyone?”

“Of course.”

“We’re going to Elvendork’s concert, at the music festival in Hogsmeade,” said the redhead after a brief pause, an anxious look on her face. She adored Dorcas, but they were not that close yet, and she did not know how the girl would fell about patrolling for Lily while she went out and had fun at a music festival.

“Really? That’s so awesome!,” was Dorcas’ answer, much to Lily’s relief. “Who are we anyway? Since you’re not on a date with our beloved Head Boy.”

“Oh, a bunch of us,” said Lily, “Me and James, as you know, the other three Marauders, Mary, Aubrey, and Em Vance.”

“Oh, nice!,” answered Dorcas, a dubious expression on her face. She clearly noticed the odd addition of Emmeline Vance to their party, but was discrete and kind enough not to ask outright.

“I’m glad you’re not mad I asked you to patrol tonight for this,” said Lily, revealing her previous apprehension.

“Oh, nonsense. You more than anyone in this castle deserves a night of. Go out, have fun. Merlin knows how many times you have covered everyone else’s arses,” the Slytherin claimed. “How are you getting there anyway?,” she asked, as if suddenly remembering it.

“I... don’t know, actually. Black guaranteed they knew how to get to Hogsmeade safely, though.”

“Trusting the Marauders, huh? Wow, big move for Lily Evans!,” said Dorcas, who in return received a piercing glare from the Head Girl.

“And oh, would you look at that! I think it’s time for my patrol!,” she said, standing up from the couch. Lily stood up too, and hugged the other girl, thanking her once more for covering up for them.

* * *

Mary shook her leg earnestly, trying to remove the old chocolate wrapper that got stuck in the sole of one of her trainers. The girl had her hand on Aubrey’s shoulder for balance.

“How often do you guys use this tunnel, anyway?,” she asked.

“I dunno. Not all the time, obviously, but pretty often, I guess,” answered Sirius.

“You’d think you’d keep this place at least a little cleaner...,” she said, taking the chocolate wrapper in her hand and throwing it in the direction of the Marauders, jokingly.

“Hey!,” warned Sirius, “The wrappers are Moony’s fault. You can pin the occasional empty Butterbeer bottle on the rest of us, but these sticky things are all Mr. Remus Lupin’s fault.”

“Really, I expected better of you, Remus,” admonished Aubrey while they continued their way down the dark tunnel, the only light belonging to the _lumos_ cast by their wands.

“And do you really believe the word of Sirius Black over mine?,” asked Remus, faking indignation.

“Not normally, no. But in this case, I think I have to believe him,” said the brunette in a serious tone.

“Hey,” called Lily, interrupting them. “Do you guys smell... Taffy?”

“Yes,” answered Peter, a fond smile in his chubby face. The word wasn’t accompanied by any tone of surprise, though – in fact, he just gave a sight of pleasure, like it was something good and familiar.

In the dim light, she could see the four boys trading looks with each other.

“It means we’re close,” said James.

“I don’t know why you four couldn’t have just told us where this tunnel is going to end. It’s not like we aren’t going to find out anyway,” complained the redhead, rolling her eyes.

“And ruin the surprise, Evans?,” said Sirius, like she suggested the most absurd thing in the world, and she couldn’t help but smile.

“You know...,” started Emmeline, “I hear the most tall tales about the Marauders around the hallways of Hogwarts, and I always thought people were exaggerating. But here I am, in my first time out with you – we haven’t even arrived yet, and I’m in a dark tunnel that’s a secret passage that’s leads to Merlin knows where in Hogsmeade. So I’m thinking that the stories that circulate around school might actually be pretty tame.”

“Why, thank you, my beautiful lady,” said Sirius.

“I don’t know if that was exactly a compliment, Black,” responded Mary.

“It is, to us,” completed James, smiling his mischievous grin.

“You’re the worst Head Boy ever, James. Ever,” said Aubrey, walking up behind him and putting her hand in his mop of unruly hair, shaking his head, making it an even bigger mess.

“Oi, we’re here!,” exclaimed Remus, calling the group’s attention. He was pointing his wand to the ceiling, and it was illuminating what looked like a trap door. The skinny boy jumped and opened it, a ladder appearing through the small entrance. They pulled it down, adjusted it, and went up one by one.

James was the last one up, he had just shut the trap door when he saw Lily looking around, her face twisted in a frown, and heard her saying: “Are we where I think we are?”

“Yes,” James answered.

“Honeydukes’ basement!,” announced Peter theatrically, with a pleased and proud smile as he spread his arms wide like a showman.

“How on Earth... I actually don’t even know how to end that sentence,” realized Mary, jumping around excitedly. “Did you find this? Did you build it?”

“And most importantly: do they actually let you use it?,” Lily joked. She was pretty sure the owners of Honeydukes, as nice as they may be, were probably not aware of a secret passage that allowed hundreds of teenage students to steal their entire stock of sweets. The redhead looked around - they were surrounded by everything the shop had to offer, dozens of boxes covering every inch of space containing Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Fizzing Whizbees, Sugar Quills, Acid Pops, Cauldron Cakes, Pumpkin Pasties, Liquorice Wands, and many other delicacies.

Remus came between her and Mary, put each hand gently on their waists, and said: “Plausible deniability, girls, plausible deniability.”

“C’mon, let’s get out of here,” called Sirius, gesturing towards a small window in the back corner of the room.

* * *

The vibrant lights floating in the night sky across the field looked like a painted ceiling, made of blurry colours. He could hear the music that was playing in the stage, the young laughter bubbling from the mouths of pretty girls, the odd spell being cast every now and then, screams of joy, surprise and excitement. He could smell the grass beneath his feet – that damp and earthy smell that was one of his favourites, the sweet smell of the foods that were being sold on a few booths, and if he walked a bit towards the crowd he would smell the perfume and sweat of the people singing and dancing around him. James Potter was felling very much seventeen right now.

As the opening band of the festival was at their second half of their set, he and Sirius retreated towards the edge of the forest. He stood there; cleaning his glasses in his t-shirt and leaning his back against a tree as Sirius took two cigarettes from his back pocket, lit them, and gave him one of them.

“So... Evans looks pretty fit in those shorts, huh?”, teased Sirius as he sat on a big rock next to his friend.

“Wanker,” said James, putting his glasses back on and looking at Sirius through slit-like eyes.

The long haired boy just snorted. “Relax, mate. I’m just taking the piss out of you”.

“Oh, I know,” answered James. “You’re still a wanker, though.”

“True,” Sirius said, smirking.

“I never got around to thanking you properly, mate,” started James, looking fondly at the other boy while he took a drag of his cigarette.

“What for?”

“For this. I know that Aubrey was the one who found the news about the festival, and that she probably only came because Moony backed us up. Merlin knows she only trust us as far as she can throw us...,” at this, Sirius bark-like laugh interrupted his friend for a second. “But you were the mastermind behind it all. None of us, including her, would be here if it wasn’t for Sirius Black’s penchant for trouble. So thanks, mate.”

“You’re welcome, you sap,” but he looked equally fondly at the bespectacled boy. “You gonna try anything tonight?”

“Don’t wanna ruin it. We’re finally getting along, ya know? I’m just gonna enjoy her company. Or try to get her to enjoy mine, I guess.”

“And speak of the devil...,” announced Sirius, gesturing ahead as Lily’s figure appeared half-jogging towards them. That earned him a slap in the arm from James.

“Hey!,” said the girl, smiling brightly, her chest heaving underneath the white t-shirt from the distance. “Can I join or am I interrupting?”

“Is my mind deceiving me, or is Lily Evans intentionally seeking the company of James Potter and Sirius Black?,” teased Sirius.

“I know, right? How the mighty have fallen...,” said Lily jokingly, leaning on a tree next to James. “The thing is, Peter, Remus and Mary went to the booths to get some food and I’m not that hungry. But I was not about to hang around Aubrey and Emmeline like a third wheel and ruin everything for them. So I’m hanging out with you two twats until Elvendork starts playing.”

“Fairfax and Vance, huh? So that’s the reason for that lovely addition to our group...,” mused Sirius, blowing smoke to the wind.

“Yes, it is. Try not to tease them, though, please Sirius? It might not look that way, but Aubrey is actually really shy when she’s interested in someone.” The boy just made a gesture of sealing his lips as an answer.

“Hey, can I have one of those?”, asked Lily, pointing at the cigarettes. Sirius passed one to her, and just as he we was ready to light it with his wand, she raised her hand, rejecting it, and pulled a shiny object out of her back pocket. It was an antique silver lighter, filled with beautiful and intricate patterns. She lit her cigarette and was about to put it back in her pocket, when Sirius asked her: “Hey, what is that? Is it a Muggle thing?”

“It’s a lighter. It creates a little flame, we use it to light stuff,” she explained, running her thumb through the spark wheel to light it, and then extinguishing the flame before she passed the little contraption to Sirius. “And yes, it’s a ‘Muggle thing’,” she said, smiling at his bright-eyed fascination as he touched the lighter, so different than his usual cool demeanour.

“It’s very beautiful,” he said handing it back to her after examining it.

“Yeah, it is. It used to be my dad’s.”

“Used to be?,” he asked, picking up on the way she phrased it.

“He passed away.”

“Shite. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. Well, it’s not but...,” she trailed off, uncertain of what to say.

“Tonight is not a night for sadness.”

“Yeah,” she said, shrugging her shoulders, glad he understood her unspoken words. Who would’ve thought Sirius Black was a keen observer? “I actually think he would have liked you two, he was a joker, all right... Why are you so quiet, Potter?”

“Just deep in thought, Evans. Missing me?,” he answered, eyebrow up and cheeky smirk on his face.

The truth was that James was content in observing her, the way she looked exquisite beneath those coloured lights that made her eyes shine, her long legs, the bare expanse of soft-looking skin with the few freckles just above her knee to accompany the ones she had on the bridge of her nose. The way her lips formed a small ‘o’ as she blew the smoke. She had a few tiny braids in her hair, which looked thoroughly dishevelled by the wind – she looked young, wild and worry-free.

“A sickle for your thoughts, then,” prompted Lily, rolling her eyes.

“Are they really worth that little to you?”

“Work with a poor woman, will you, Potter? My galleons are currently tied up in a bet with Paul that Gryffindor will win our next match against Hufflepuff. Which, by the way, you better win or I’ll stick you with Head duty paperwork for a month.”

“I like it when you boss me around, Evans,” he said, laughing his easy deep throat laugh. “Don’t worry, a bit more training and we got this in the bag... And if you must know, I was just thinking you look really beautiful tonight.”

“Er, thanks,” she said, putting a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Morgana’s tits, I’m the third wheel!,” exclaimed Sirius. “Hey, Evans! Is that my leather jacket?,” he asked, pointing with his head at the faded black item Lily was wearing.

“I dunno, is it?,” she said, shrugging her shoulders, her hands comfortably in the pocket of the said jacket. “It was over there by the pile of our stuff and I got cold and it looks nice on me, doesn’t it?”

“What is that supposed to mean? Give me back my leather jacket, you redheaded fiend!”

“And what are you gonna do, Black? Stupefy me?,” challenged Lily as she started moving, running backwards, laughing in Sirius’ face as she beckoned him. He moved towards her immediately, yelling “Prongs, your girlfriend is a thief!” as he caught up to her and threw the girl over his shoulder like she was a sack of potatoes. Lily started kicking, trying to free herself from Sirius’ hold, and one of her boots feel to the ground. James laughed heartily as he watched the scene from afar, his arms crossed over his chest, which was swelling with affection after seeing that these two seemed to fit together just perfectly.

“Oi, you three, the show’s about to start!,” yelled Remus. Sure enough, when James looked at the stage, there were people setting the instruments for Elvendork. James started walking towards the other three. “Padfoot, what are you doing? Put Lily down,” said the lanky boy.

“She stole a prized possession, Moony! Can’t you see?”

Remus looked at Lily, who gave him a cheeky grin as he noticed what she was wearing.

“C’mon, Padfoot, put her down. I’m sure Lily will give you your jacket back now.”

James, who had reached them now, saw the redhead unabashedly mouth to Remus “No, I won’t” behind Sirius’ back. His friend rolled his eyes and mouthed back “Well, pretend you will!”

“Yes, Sirius. Sorry I took your jacket. It’s just that I’m so cold. Can I keep wearing it for just a little while?,” Lily said, putting her best pleading voice to use; the smirk on her face so devious that Sirius himself would be proud if he wasn’t the butt of the joke.

“Yeah, all right,” he conceded.

“Thank you! May Merlin bless your charitable wizarding soul... Where did my boot go?”

“There you go, Cinderella,” said Remus, picking up the boot from the floor and putting it on Lily’s foot before Sirius put her down. The four of them met Mary and Peter by the end of the food booths and started walking towards the stage.

* * *

At some point in the evening, after her not-so-subtle friends had left the two of them alone, their hands had touched and then their fingers became interlaced and stayed together like that. Emmeline’s hand was a bit smaller than hers, softer too – since Aubrey spent hours on end holding a beater’s bat – and the girl’s pale skin contrasted greatly with her dark one. They were seating on top of a turned-off magical speaker, and the breeze constantly carried the lavender smell of Emmeline’s naked neck in Aubrey’s direction, adding just one more reason to why she wanted to get closer to the other girl.

“So...,” Emmeline turned around, facing her. She had the fairest hair, styled in a pixie cut, and the darkest eyes Aubrey had ever seen, it was a strikingly beautiful combination. “Your friends are really nice.”

Aubrey laughed. “I suppose they are. Although “nice” is not the word I’d choose to describe the Marauders. Probably not even Lily. Mary’s nice, though, she’s a sweetheart.”

“Oh, and Lily isn’t? She seems really nice to me.”

“She is, most of the time,” answered Aubrey, thoughtful. “She’s incredibly kind and thoroughly selfless, an amazing witch. But if she thinks you deserve it, she’ll hex you into tomorrow. She’s ferocious in defending what she stands for. It’s a beautiful thing to watch, really. Shame that she’s now Head Girl and has to “reign in her temper” and everything. Which is why “nice” suits Mary better. Mary is our balance.”

“Alright, I’ll accept that,” said Emmeline, conceding. She took a sip of the Butterbeer they were sharing and looked into Aubrey’s eyes again. “You know, Rohan and Andrea were really curious when they found out I was going out with the famous Marauders and the prettiest girls in Hogwarts.”

“The prettiest girls in Hogwarts, huh?”, Audrey raised an eyebrow. “Whose opinion is that?”

“Well, it’s a popular opinion. But I can say I thoroughly agree. I might be biased, though. I’ve got my eye on one in particular,” said Emmeline, grinning coyly.

“Oh, really?,” asked Aubrey, with a smile so big and bright it competed with the dancing coloured lights in the sky above them. “Do you think she likes you back?”

“I’d like to think so, yes,” said the blonde girl, moving a bit closer towards Aubrey and playing with a stray curl of her hair. “I mean, I don’t want to assume anything, but we had a really nice chat the other night. I thought she was funny. And really hot!,” and at that Aubrey laughed, loving the giddy feeling the other girl gave her. “And then she asked me out, and I got really excited. But I guess there’s only one way to know for sure, huh?”

“Well, then we should solve that problem.”

Emmeline’s smell of lavender engulfed Aubrey as they kissed, the brunette girl reaching gently for Emmeline’s neck and, as their kiss grew more passionate, made their way down her naked shoulders, her back, the little stretch of her thigh just above her knee that was uncovered by her dress. Emmeline buried one of her hands in Aubrey’s hair, those amazing curls she had been longing to touch since the Gryffindor party, and the other hand on her waist, so she could press the other girl’s body close to hers.

When they broke apart, both flushed and short of breath, with small smiles on their faces, Aubrey asked: “So, have you discovered yet?”

Emmeline pretended to think. “I don’t know, I think I’m going to need a little more experience,” she said, pulling Aubrey for another kiss.

A loud whistle and then James Potter’s yelling voice interrupted them. “Indecent public display of affection! That’s a foul right there, Fairfax!”

“With all due respect, Captain, sod off!,” she said. Emmeline laughed and both girls got down from the speaker. “You’re just saying that cause you’re dying to get indecent in public,” continued Aubrey as she stood beside James now.

“Too right you are, darling, too right,” the boy answered, throwing an arm around her shoulders.

“We should get going. The show’s starting in 10 minutes,” said Mary. The group, now all together, nodded and started again.

Aubrey laced her fingers in Emmeline’s again and whispered in her ear: “I’m sorry about that.”

“It’s okay”, the blonde answered. “We still got all night. And, hopefully, many more nights after that.


	6. Dancing in the dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is, admittedly, a bit of a filler - I couldn't go directly into what I plan for the next chapter and chapter 5 would turn out to be too long in comparison to the others - but I guess it ended up laying the ground work for some nice and important things :)  
> Also, I'm pretty proud of how I worked this song into it - I love it, these lyrics are amazing. For more of a Jily mood, you should check out The Old Kraftsman cover.
> 
> Shivani is a babe and gave all kinds of important opinions on this chapter.
> 
> Comments are like snuggling with my comforter.

_They say you gotta stay hungry_

_Hey baby, I’m just about starving tonight_

_I’m dying for some action_

_I’m sick of sitting ‘round here trying to write this book_

_I need a love reaction_

_Come on now baby, gimme just one look_

_You can’t start a fire_

_You can’t start a fire without a spark_

_This gun’s for hire_

_Even if we’re just dancing in the dark_

Dancing in the Dark – written and performed by Bruce Springsteen

 

“Oh my God, that was incredible! I can’t believe we got to see Elvendork play!,” Mary squealed, her little frame bouncing around excitedly as their group moved away from the throngs of people.

“I can’t believe Matt Gerwish can sing in fucking Mermish!,” exclaimed James.

“I can’t believe I heard ‘Jinx me, baby’ live!,” said Emmeline.

“I can’t believe Kira Chang pulled you on stage and kissed you, Remus!,” said Lily, hanging onto the werewolf’s arm and looking up at the smirk tugging on his lips.

“Actually, me neither,” agreed Sirius. “I was right beside you, why didn’t she pick me?”

“I could smack you on the head, but as it is, I just snogged a pretty girl, who happens to be internationally famous, and you didn’t, so...,” Remus shrugged, his smirk evolving into a full blown smile.

“Ouch!,” said Aubrey, as the others snickered.

“Tough luck, mate,” said James, clapping Sirius’ back as he passed him by.

“Have you guys decided if you want to camp here or head back to Hogwarts?,” asked Peter, once they had arrived to an impromptu camping ground occupied by several groups of wizards.

“Do you think it’s safe to sleep here?,” inquired Emmeline.

“Of course it is,” Sirius quickly answered.

“Says the pureblood,” mumbled Mary as they stopped by a clearing.

“What?”

“What I mean is, it’s much easier for you to say it’s safe here when you’re not really a target anyway.”

“It’s a war. We’re all targets.”

“Oh, please, Sirius,” interjected Lily. “You’re a Black! One of the sacred twenty-eight. If anyone ever points a wand at you, all you have to do is say the word and you won’t even get harmed.”

“Well, Evans...,” a truly disgusted expression marred Sirius’ features. “I’d rather die than ‘say the word’. So thanks, but no thanks. Guess that makes me a target as well, huh?”

Lily let her body rest on a tree while she observed Sirius’ face.

“God, you really would, wouldn’t you?,” she asked, the realization hitting her.

“I would.”

She nodded slowly.

“Well, cheers! I love to see anyone defying them,” Lily raised an imaginary glass towards the long-haired boy.

“I’d drink to that. Indeed, if you want to, Red, we can.” He started rummaging in his backpack and pulled a bottle of Ogden’s finest. “Think you can keep up with me?”

“Are you challenging me, Black?”

“My words are open to interpretation, Evans, but I wouldn’t say you’re too far off the mark.”

Lily headed towards Sirius and swiped the bottle from his hands, taking a sip. “I think you’re the one who won’t be able to keep up with me, Black.”

“What are you talking about? Look at you. The only person here who weighs less than you is Mary, and that’s ‘cause she’s the size of a house elf”.

“And that’s why you get punched more than the other three”, sneered Mary .

“Ah, c’mon, Mare!,”, said Sirius pulling her into a hug while she struggled against him.

“Lily’s actually surprisingly alcohol resistant,” added Aubrey.

“It’s the Irish blood from mum’s side of the family,” said Lily. “You in, Black?”

“May the best man, or woman, win,” Sirius declared, taking the Firewhiskey from her and drinking it.

“Does that mean we’re staying then?,” asked Aubrey.

“I understand your worries, but I wouldn’t suggest we stay here unless I was sure it is safe. Voldemort hasn’t started attacking openly yet and Hogsmeade is a wizard-only village. He wouldn’t be able to tell the Muggleborns from the half-bloods and purebloods, and I don’t think he wants to be able to do that just yet,” said James.

“Besides, we’re pretty close to the Shack here,” added Remus, pointing at the Shrieking Shack’s looming form a few feet in the distance. The boys exchanged a mysterious look that the girls could not decipher. “There’s another passage there that we could use to go back, if worst comes to worst.”

“Isn’t that place haunted?,” frowned Emmeline.

“So’s Hogwarts, though,” Lily argued.

“Good point,” Emmeline laughed.

“Then I guess it’s time to set up the tents, boys!,” Mary ushered them, clapping her hands to get them going. “I might be ‘the size of a house elf’, but I sure as hell ain’t doing manual labour.”

As his three friends followed Mary’s commands and started setting up the two tents (“You’re cheating, Black, you’re using magic!”, “Of course I am, McDonald, I’m a wizard!”, “You’re a wuss, that’s what you are...”), James took to standing next to Lily and observing them.

“I’d stay,” he said.

“Sorry?,” she asked, confused.

“If they came,” he started explaining, still not looking directly at her, his proud profile illuminated by the fool moon, “I wouldn’t run. I’d stay and fight.”

“Why? You’re not in danger. You can get away from it. It has nothing to do with you.”

“It has everything to do with me, Lily. This is my world, as much as it is yours. I don’t want to see it turn into what they want it to be. And I’m doing everything I can to stop them.”

“Even if it means you might die trying?”

“When the other option is to do nothing and let them take over? Yeah.”

“That’s incredibly reckless of you, Potter,” Lily said, but there was a smile in her voice. James understood.

“Like Lily Evans would ever run from a fight for what she believes in,” he answered. Her smile grew and she offered him a sip of the bottle she had stolen back from Sirius, which he gladly took. Even though they were talking about war and death, it did not feel gloomy. Lily felt a strange sort of kinship in hearing her thoughts being echoed in James Potter’s voice, someone who was supposed to be so different from her, this rich pureblood boy who up until now she had regarded as mostly a pain in her arse.

“James?,” she called him after a brief period of hesitation.

“Huh?”

“Do you really think I belong in this world as much as you? And Mary, and the other Muggleborns?,” she asked, being forcibly reminded of Severus’ words, which would never stop cutting through her.

“Of course,” he answered simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the universe. Lily felt her cheeks heat up and cursed inwardly for such a stupid reaction.

“I think you should go help your friends,” she said, offering him a small smile, and hoping he would go so she could gain some distance and clear her head. “Tell Sirius it’s his time to drink.”

“As you wish,” James nodded and walked back to his friends.

* * *

 

A couple of hours later, a drunk Lily Evans was snuggled against a pissed Sirius Black.

“You know what, Black? I actually really like you.”

“Damn it, Evans. I like you too.”

“I mean, I thought you were an absolute arsehole...”

“And I thought you had a wand up your arse...”

“But you’re funny. And nice to your friends when no one’s looking. And soft too,” Lily said the last part burying her face further in his chest. Sirius scoffed.

“I am not soft!”

“Are too.”

“Am not! Take it back, Evans!”

“Nuh uh!”

“You’re making no sense, you’re absolutely sloshed.”

“So are you!”

“Merlin, they’re children. I cannot look,” said Remus from his place across their little circle. When the boys had succeeded in pitching the two tents (one for the Marauders, one for the girls), they had built a fire (lit by Lily, who had stopped Remus’ wand with a hand, grabbed a couple of rocks, and produced a spark. When a stunned James asked her how she had done that, she winked at him and answered: “Muggle magic”) and gathered around it.

“Really?,” Peter asked surprised. “I can’t look away.”

“Why can’t she snuggle against me, though?,” James protested.

“Aw, poor Jamesie... Jealousy is an ugly emotion,” teased Aubrey.

“Shut it, Fairfax. Go shove your happiness in someone else’s face,” James nodded towards Aubrey and Emmeline’s joined hands. The girl stuck her tongue out at him.

“Hm, guys, they’ve moved on to the second bottle,” warned Mary.

“Where the hell did all this booze come from?,” laughed Emmeline.

“Hey, it’s Sirius we’re talking about...,” Remus started saying, but was interrupted by Lily’s shout.

“JAMES!”

“Yes?,” he answered, crossing the distance between them and crouching down next to her.

“You won’t tell McGonagall I’m drunk on the floor with Sirius Black, will you? I like being Head Girl. I don’t want her to ‘disown’ me!”

James struggled to hold in a laugh, afraid that Lily, even drunk, wouldn’t take kindly to being laughed at by him. But damn, she was adorable.

“I won’t, love, don’t worry.”

“What about Dumbledore, though? Shouldn’t you be worried about him as well?,” asked Peter.

“Pffft. Dumbledore would sit on the dirt with us and share the Ogden’s. Right, Pads?”

Sirius looked at the redhead with half-closed eyes, and James thought he would berate her for the familiar use of his nickname, but after a moment, the wrinkles of confusion on his face went away and he nodded.

“Right.”

“Since when do you-,“ James started, laughing at Sirius’ expression, only to get shushed by Lily’s hand on his mouth. He had no idea why she had resorted to putting her fingers against his lips to stop him from talking, but Merlin, he wanted to kiss those fingers.

“Lily, why do you...,” he tried to mumble against her skin.

“Shh!,” she commanded angrily. “Can you guys hear that?”

And then he could hear it, the faint sound of a guitar as it morphed into an unfamiliar, melodious tune.

“Which band is that?,” Sirius asked, his voice laced with wonder, his unfocused eyes turning wide and brimming with interest.

“It’s the Rolling Stones!,” Lily nearly yelled, astonished that Sirius didn’t recognize the worldwide famous anthem that was “Satisfaction”.

“Rolling stones?,” James asked, scrunching up his nose as he grabbed a pebble with a hand and rolled on the ground toward the other. Mary laughed so hard it turned into a coughing fit.

“No, no, no!,” protested an exasperated Lily. “Rolling Stones is the name of the band!”

“What a stupid arse name!,” exclaimed Sirius.

“That’s not the point! Can’t you guys hear how amazing that is? What have Remus and Peter been teaching you about Muggle music?”

“A fat load of nothing, apparently!,” Sirius complained.

“Do you hear that, you two? You have been depriving us of important cultural education!,” James said it to his two friends who just kept on shaking their heads at all the drama.

“Just a second, lemme fix that!,” Lily said, standing up on wobbly legs and walking – perhaps stumbling – a bit towards where the music came from: a group of young wizards, three girls and two guys, one of whom was strumming a guitar while mumbling the lyrics. Mary shot up quickly, following her.

“Hello!,” said Lily, crouching next to the guitar player and offering her hand with her biggest smile. “I’m Lily Evans. You are?”

“David Carmichael?,” the young man answered, simultaneously pleased and confused at why he was being approached by the very beautiful, but slightly tipsy witch. He looked around at his friends’ faces, searching for an answer, but they just shrugged.

“You’re Muggleborn, David?,” Lily asked. He immediately pulled back from her, his face twisted in an ugly frown, and Lily realized her mistake.

“Oh, no, no! I’m sorry. It’s just, you were playing a Muggle song. I’m Muggleborn, see. Mary here, is too.”

“I’m sorry, it’s the Firewhiskey, she’s usually much more articulate than this,” explained Mary.

“Oi!”

But Mary’s joke worked and David and his friends laughed and visibly relaxed.

“So what can I do for you two ladies?,” asked David.

“Well, as I said, we heard you playing... And we have a couple of pureblood friends who are severely lacking in the musical knowledge department. So I was wondering if you and your friends would like to join us for a bit as you played a couple of Muggle songs?,” Lily asked, her hands joined in front of her as a pleading sign. “We have Firewhiskey, and food, and good conversation.”

“What do you guys think?,” asked David, turning to his friends.

“Sounds good to me,” said a black haired girl.

“Yeah, alright,” answered another one, already getting up, and their little group joined the other, bigger and louder one after a few short steps.

After a quick round of introductions and easy banter to break the ice, Lily asked David to play (I Can’t Get no) Satisfaction again.

“Okay. Listen. This is really important. Elvendork is amazing and all, but they’re pretty much the only wizard band worth their salt. Muggle music is so much better. I’m sorry, it is. Since Remus and Peter have been so neglectful, I promise I’ll get around to getting some records, but in the meantime, I’ll let David take over and show it to you”, she announced with a flourish.

The young wizard smiled at Lily and started to run his fingers through the strings, filling the air with the sound of that famous three-note guitar riff and those memorable words.

 

_I can’t get no satisfaction_

_I can’t get no satisfaction_

_‘Cause I try and I try and I try and I try_

_I can’t get no, I can’t get no_

Lily started dancing, gently swaying her hips to the rhythm of the song with her hands in her hair and her eyes closed. She opened her them to see James and Sirius wearing two equally dumbfounded expressions – Sirius completely entranced by the music, James completely entranced by _her_ – and grabbed both of them by one hand, pulling them to their feet so they could dance. A couple of their friends got up and started dancing as well, Emmeline being accompanied by a surprisingly graceful Peter and the girls from David’s group taught Aubrey some Muggle dance moves.

 

* * *

Lily’s head felt like it was underwater and her mouth was so dry that it felt like she had swallowed cotton. Even though magical alcohol tended to leave you with less of a hangover than Muggle ones, you still couldn’t drink about a bottle of Firewhiskey and think you could walk out unscathed.

She could never sleep much after drinking the night before, which she supposed was a good thing at the moment, since they had to get back to Hogwarts before anyone noticed their absence.

She sat up on her sleeping bag, performed a few hygiene spells and gently shook Mary awake.

“Good morning, Sunshine,” said the smaller witch through a yawn. She was always cheerful in the morning and a much lighter sleeper than Aubrey, which was why Lily chose to wake her.

“Yeah, yeah, I suppose.”

“You’re just like that ‘cause you outdrank Sirius Black yesterday.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that I’m leaving you here to wake up Aubrey.”

“Damn, you’re evil”, Mary pouted.

“Would you prefer to go and wake up the Marauders?”

“Fair enough. You can go,” responded the smaller witch in a singsong voice.

With a scoff and a small smile for Mary, Lily headed for the other tent, her bare feet feeling cool on the dewy grass. She pushed aside the canvas door and entered silently, taking a moment to regard the scene in front of her: Peter was buried on his sleeping bag, snoring loudly, his fair hair the only thing visible; Remus looked younger and innocent in sleep, his features relaxed. James and Sirius, however, were sharing one sleeping bag, laying on top of it instead of in it. Sirius was in a foetal position, looking smaller and paler than Lily had ever seen him, and while he was still asleep, James, who had been facing him, his arms in a protective stance, was very much awake.

“Am I interrupting something?,” she said, feeling like she had invaded their privacy.

“Cut it out, Evans,” James answered, his voice surprisingly sharp. He thought she had been joking. He had never been curt with her before; before if there were anyone who would drive him to do it, it would be Sirius.

“I don’t – I didn’t mean it like that. I’m not taking the Mickey or anything. Really. I’m leaving, anyway...”

“Lily!,” he called after her while standing up carefully, trying not to wake Sirius.

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry. I just... thought you were making fun of us or something,” James said sheepishly. “And Sirius... He had a really rough night. He has nightmares sometimes.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. You’re a good friend to him, Potter.”

“Yeah, well... Did you want anything?”

“Just to wake you up. We have to be heading back to Hogwarts pretty soon.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll start gathering the troops. And Lily, don’t mention the Sirius thing to anyone, ok?”

“Of course,” she nodded.

As they made their way to the castle in the wee hours of the mourning, Lily’s head may have been hurting and her feet may have been tired; but her heart felt a little lighter – and she was still wearing that beautiful leather jacket that (formerly) belonged to Sirius Black.

 


	7. I'll put a spell on you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!
> 
> I'm super nervous about this chapter, so please, be nice about it... 
> 
> That being said, we have a sexual harassment situation in this chapter. Nothing graphic happens, but I feel like I should warn people, because it's a trigger. I have also updated the tags on this fic (I didn't really know how to use them properly at first). I don't plan on making this fic very violent or anything (it's not about what I want to write), but I don't want to restrict it either, so... If you have any questions, I'm here or on tumblr (raissassampaio too!) and I'd love to talk!
> 
> My thanks to Shivani, for betaing this!
> 
> And a special shout out to Youblitheringidiot, thank you for being here since this started! I'll write a chapter in which Sirius is heavily featured and dedicate it you! haha

_Sometimes the last thing you want comes in first_

_Sometimes the first thing you want never comes_

_But I know that waiting is all you can do_

_Sometimes_

_I’ll put a spell on you_

_You’ll fall asleep_

_When I put a spell on you_

Strange and Beautiful (I’ll Put a Spell on You) – Written by Kim Oliver and Matthew Nicholas Hales, performed by Aqualung

 

 

Being a Potions prodigy meant that being covered in green goo was not a common occurrence for Lily Evans, but that is exactly how she found herself on that Thursday evening.

“I’m sorry my potion blew up on you, Lil,” Aubrey apologized, putting on an innocent face. She pointed the wand at her friend and fired a quick _Scourgify_ , quickly vanishing the goo from Lily’s face and chest.

“That - ,” Lily said, pointing to the mess on the sticky cauldron that sat on the floor of the Gryffindor Girl’s dormitory, “ - is not a potion. It’s a bloody experiment,” she laughed.

“I swear I was following the specific instructions they gave in Witch Weekly,” Aubrey shoved the magazine in Lily’s face. “See? It’s supposed to make my hair glow!”

“Your hair already glows,” Lily rolled her eyes in disbelief that Aubrey almost destroyed the dormitory for an absolutely unnecessary hair potion. She’d be mad if she didn’t find it endearing.

“Aw, ‘Ta, love!,” her friend thanked her with a huge smile.

“Don’t try making this shit again, ok? They probably just made something up. And don’t forget to clean up this mess before the other girls get here.”

“Sure thing, mum.”

“Ugh. I hate it when you call me that! And you made my uniform smell all funky,” Lily complained, smelling her usually crisp white shirt.

“Sorry, mum! Should I have used _Tergeo_ instead of _Scourgify_?”

“Hm, they’re pretty similar, but we might have gotten better results with _Tergeo_ since it specialises in liquids... And you’re distracting me with Charms theory. You’re shameless. Lucky for you I have just enough time to change out of this before patrols, if I run.”

“Bye, Lil, don’t be too hard on those happy snogging couples!”

“You know me, I’m always nice.”

“Oh, I bet I know someone who wishes you were nicer...”

“Bye, Bree!,” Lily yelled, shaking her head good-naturedly as she descended the stairs over the sound of her friend’s laugh. She saw Mary on the Common Room couch, studying with a couple of their classmates, and warned, not even pausing her stride: “Hey Mare?! Keep Aubrey away from Witch Weekly, will ya? She’s far too impressionable around it!”

“Sure thing!,” the other girl yelled back as Lily passed through the Fat Lady’s portrait hole and into the Hogwarts corridors.

With a quick pace, she got to the gilded mirror that protected the Heads quarters in little time; but just as her thin hand stretched to touch the silvery surface, she felt another, tiny and hesitant, pull at the back of her robes.

When she turned around, her eyes met the small figure of a Gryffindor-clad girl – a first-year, and Muggleborn, Lily remembered. Fear gripped her heart as she observed the red-rimmed eyes and grim expression on that otherwise sweet heart-shaped face, and she knelt in front of the little girl, one hand stroking her brown locks in a soothing gesture.

“Hey, it’s Nathalie, right?,” Lily said, and the girl nodded faintly. “I know who you are, it’s okay.”

“Why don’t you tell me what happened, huh?,” she proposed, smiling sweetly. “Then we’ll see how I can help you, how does that sound?”

“You can’t,” little Nathalie muttered faintly, her face somewhere between angry and sad.

“Can’t what?”, Lily asked confused.

“Help me.”

And as she looked into the girl’s sombre features, another voice, rising from the shadows, whispered a cruel incantation. Lily felt like a gentle wave was washing over her body; her limbs becoming relaxed and her worries being wiped away until she became a floating thing.

“Did it work?,” Nott asked as he came out of the shadows at the end of the corridor.

In her dazed state, Lily started banging her head on the castle stone wall. Nathalie buried her face in her neck, trying not to look at the Head Girl.

“Like a charm,” answered Mulciber, a cruel smirk on his lips.

* * *

After waiting for her for half an hour at the usual spot near the library in the first floor corridor, James resigned himself to the fact that Lily, for whatever reason, was not coming for patrols tonight. That did not sit well with him – she always made her Head duties a priority and if an emergency occurred, it was very unlike her not to let her partner know she wouldn’t be able to make it – but he guessed he could not assume anything. Whatever it was, it was probably none of his business.

So he ignored the fact that he wasn’t supposed to patrol alone, started a sweep through the first floor, and moved towards the second floor when he saw Aubrey descending the stairs.

“Hey, Captain!,” she greeted him when they met halfway. “You’re patrolling, right? Where’s the redhead? Isn’t she supposed to be with you?”

“You mean you don’t know either?,” James asked suspiciously.

“I thought I did...,” Aubrey frowned. “I just saw her a little while ago, and she told me she was heading for patrol.”

“Are you sure? How long ago was that? She’s not with Mary or anything?”

“Of course I’m sure, that was just some 40, 50 minutes ago, less than an hour. And she’s definitely not with Mary right now, ‘cause we’re studying together. Mary saw her leaving the Common Room, too.”

“Then she can’t have changed her mind,” James muttered, a sudden fear feeding into his already increasing uneasiness. He knew there was no way Lily Evans would shirk from her responsibilities like that with no explanation. He sprinted upstairs, not minding Aubrey’s worried yells, only stopping when he could see Remus’ figure sprawled on the bed once he arrived at the boy’s dormitory.

“Moony?”

“Prongs?,” the sandy-haired boy lifted his eyes from the novel he was reading, surprised by his friend’s arrival. “I thought you were on patrol duty.”

“I was. I am. The thing is, Lily never showed.”

“That’s odd. But-“

“No, listen, I just ran into Aubrey, and she told me Lily was heading out for patrol. Just a few minutes before we were due to meet. I dunno, it seems fishy. You got the map?”

“Yeah, I got the map,” Remus said, any trace of uncertainty gone as he pulled a piece of parchment out of his trunk.

“I solemnly swear I’m up to no good,” he vowed, making the lines, dots and words appear in the formerly blank parchment that now showed the outline of Hogwarts.

“Can you see her?,” James asked, his eyes frantically sweeping the map.

“No. Shit, Prongs. I don’t see her name anywhere in the castle.”

“Fuck,” muttered James when he finally found what he was looking for.

“What? Did you find her?”

“She’s not on the castle, Moony”, James answered, pointing to the little dot that read “Lily Evans”. It was perched on the edge of the rock by the Black Lake with other three little dots neither James’ nor Remus’, and a little into the distance there were the dots of Vincent Nott and Edmund Mulciber.

“I’m going,” James announced, quickly getting up from the bed.

“Right behind you,” Remus said as he followed James out of the dormitory, only to be met with Aubrey Fairfax blocking their path.

“James Potter, you tell me where you think she is right now or so help me Merlin I will transfigure you into Snape’s handkerchief!”

It was a true indication of James’ state of mind that he didn’t even crack a smile, but grabbed Aubrey’s arm and pulled her along.

“Come, Lily needs our help.”

* * *

The strong wind cut through Lily’s skin and messed with her hair and clothes as she stared at those three cherubic faces. Along with Nathalie, two other Muggleborn students had been collected by Lily’s own hands – both boys, a first-year Hufflepuff and a second year Ravenclaw. The children were huddled together as the glassy-eyed Head Girl, usually so smiling and courteous at everyone, looked particularly eerie while pointing her wand at them.

Somewhere in her addled brain, Lily registered that she should not be pointing her wand at children. That those three sweet faces should not be looking at her with fear, and it hurt.

“What do you think she’ll do when we wake her up?,” Mulciber wondered.

“Well, Bellatrix hopes she’ll either off herself or go into some sort of shock once she realizes she killed the three little brats,” Nott remarked. The children trembled and winced at the casual mention of their deaths but, to the surprise of the two young men, there was no begging or screaming. “But if she starts flying off the handle, we’re using the _Sectumsempra_ and leaving her to bleed out.”

“Ah, that was always my favourite of Snape’s little creations” , Mulciber said, the name of Lily’s former best friend piercing through her haze and knocking her wind out like she had been sucker punched. “Why this choice of venue, though?,” he continued, gesturing vaguely at where they stood in the large high rock that acted as a Cliff to the Black Lake.

“Oh, I thought maybe the redhead might like to take a dive once she saw her handiwork, you know?,” Nott answered, laughing.

“Nice touch. I think Lestrange would appreciate the dramatics.”

“Thank you, my friend... So, what are we waiting for? I think it’s time for you to do the honours.”

“Whoa, hey, what’s the rush? I think we got a nice little situation going on with our Head Girl here,” said Mulciber as he approached Lily, his dirty fingers touching her cheek in a mocking caress. “Don’t you wanna see what all the fuss Potter and Snape make is about?,” he continued, unbuttoning and discarding Lily’s robe.

“Not particularly,” Nott snapped, irritated.

Mulciber scoffed. “Is it because of these little Mudbloods?,” he gestured towards the kids, who now had their hands fiercely intertwined. “Or does it insult your sensitivities?”

“I don’t care what you do to them or to that cunt. But this isn’t what we came here to do and I think we should focus. This is actually important, Mulciber. It’s our chance to prove ourselves valuable to the Dark Lord. You can’t fuck around and do whatever you want...”

The Dark Lord. The words rang through Lily’s head like a bell in a church tower.

She still felt drowsy, like her body was not made to sustain her properly – but a few thoughts started creeping into her mind. Mulciber’s hold on her no longer felt binding; he must be getting distracted by his argument with Nott and stopped paying attention to his still flawed spellwork. Lily tried to move a finger on her own free will and had to choke a sob of happiness when she succeeded, but could not hold back the lone tear that escaped her eyes when she realized her situation.

With Mulciber and Nott were still ferociously discussing at her side, Lily thought about the one thing she could do. She couldn’t duel them. She could still barely move. And Nott wanted to see her drown. Very well. But she wouldn’t take anyone with her.

“Fine,” Mulciber snapped at Nott. “Let’s get this over with then.”

The witch felt a light tug in her right arm and she went along with it, pointing her wand at the three children. Carefully, Lily locked eyes with the other, much smaller, Gryffindor girl and mouthed “run” – as the spell shot through her, she forced her trembling limb upwards and her curse hit the sky above the children’s head; as she with a shaking, reluctant step backwards, launched herself into the plunging depths of the Great Lake.

* * *

“Fuck, James, that’s Lily!,” yelled Aubrey as they approached the spot near the Great Lake where their friend was. “She jumped into the lake!”

James, who was leading their little group, sped up and raced through the rock formation. He passed the screaming forms of Mulciber and Nott and only hesitated enough to exchange a quick nod with Remus – one that meant he trusted his friend to take care of things. As Remus nodded back, James cast a Bubblehead charm on himself and jumped into the lake after Lily.

* * *

“What the fuck happened, Mulciber? How did the Mudblood girl resist the curse?,” yelled a furious Nott, shoving the other Slytherin.

“I don’t know, okay?,” Mulciber yelled back. “Why don’t you do something for a change?”

“Shit, they’re getting away!,” Nott said as he observed the three small students running. “ _Incarcerous!,_ ” shouted the wizard, making ropes appear and bound the struggling children. But as he drew his wand and prepared to strike again, a figure ran past him in full speed, and another put themselves in front of their target.

“I wouldn’t do anything else if I were you, Nott.”

“Remus Lupin,” he greeted the boy with derision. “And Aubrey Fairfax. What do you think you’re doing here?”

“Stopping whatever it is you think you’re doing,” Remus answered. “Aubrey, take these three to the castle safely. I’ll deal with these wankers,” he added, not taking his eyes off of Nott and Mulciber.

Aubrey wanted to protest - she wanted to stay and fight, she wanted to hurt them for what they did to Lily, and she wanted to find out if her friend was alright. But as the spells started being cast, streams of colourful, harmful light filling the place, she knew she had to get the children out of there before they got hurt or used against her and Remus. So she unbound them quickly and took them by the hand, running for the Hogwarts Castle as Remus duelled the two would-be Death Eaters.

* * *

Finding her red hair in the water had not been hard – he supposed it was a good thing it was so bright –, and thankfully, the spot where they fell into the lake wasn’t that far from the shore. But as he saw Lily, safely, in the grass, his sense of relief was not as great as he previously imagined. She was coughing up a lung, she had an enormous bruise on her forehead and the way she trembled did not seem to be entirely because of the cold or wetness.

“Lily, what happened…”

“James!,” she grabbed both of his arms desperately, her fingernails digging into him. “The kids! We have to go back! Mulciber and Nott, they got three Muggleborn students!”

“Ssh, it’s okay,” he tried to soothe her, his thumbs drawing circles into her arms. “Remus and Aubrey are with them, they’ll get the kids to safety.”

Lily exhaled loudly and collapsed, propping her back into a nearby tree. James wordlessly dried them both, then took off his tie and transfigured it into a blanket and draped it over her.

“What happened, Lily?,” he attempted to ask again, after a moment of hesitation. “What did Mulciber and Nott do? Why were you all up there?”

She was silent for so long, James thought she wasn’t going to answer anymore. But then he heard a whisper: “Imperio.”

“What?”

“They used it on me, James”, she said, finally opening her eyes and looking at him. “Imperio. They Imperiused me.”

“They used an Unforgivable on you?,” he asked incredulously.

“Yeah,” Lily scoffed bitterly. “Their plan was to make me kill the kids and then wake me, so I could kill myself over what I had done. It was supposed to be their initiation as Death Eaters, from what I gathered.”

“Fuck!,” James exclaimed, punching a tree besides the one Lily was resting in.

“Now, James...,” she looked at him, somewhere between sadness and tenderness. “No use both of us getting hurt,” she said, picking up his bruised hand and bringing it carefully to her lips. He reached for her chin, lightly caressed her cheek with a finger, and pushed a few stray locks of hair out of her eyes, which emphasized the ugly bruise above her left eyebrow.

“And your forehead?,” he asked.

“Mulciber made me hit my head against the wall, so he could he if the curse was working.”

“Of course, of course he did. I’ll fucking murder those wankers, I’ll swear.”

“Let’s just go home now, James. Please? Take me home?”

“Yeah. Of course. Let’s go home,” he said, pushing himself up and offering her his hand – which he was glad to see that, as it touched his, felt a little warmer and steadier.

 


	8. Keys and Hammers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. Long time, no see, haha. Sorry about that, hope some of you are still with me!
> 
> This chapter is dedicated to Rachel. Happy birthday, my beautiful friend! I love you, darling.
> 
> Cheers to Shivani for always having my back!

 

 

_Mother says there are locked rooms inside all women;_

_kitchen of lust, bedroom of grief, bathroom of apathy._

_Sometimes, the men - they come with keys;_

_and sometimes, the men - they come with hammers._

Warsan Shire

 

James watched as Dumbledore’s eyes grew colder and McGonagall’s mouth got thinner as Lily told her story. He was also worried about her. He had tried taking her to the Hospital Wing, but she had insisted on going to the Headmaster first.

“Are you sure Mr. Lupin and Miss Fairfax have the younger students now?,” McGonagall asked earnestly.

“Well, I’m positive they got to them. I saw them and then I went to help Lily,” James answered. “I can’t speak for where they are right now, but I am sure Remus and Aubrey got them out.”

“Very well,” McGonagall sighed deeply, looking ten years older for her visible concern for the students. “I’ll send Professor Darrow and Professor Flitwick to see for their safe return,” the witch continued, and busied herself writing messages for the Defence Against the Dark Arts and Charms Professors.

“Miss Evans,” the old Headmaster started, adjusting his half-moon spectacles. “I commend your ability to keep calm and think on your feet. And Mr. Potter, your bravery and concern for your friends have helped to save lives today. You two are just what this school need as Head Boy and Girl in these troubling times, I knew I had made the right choice with you two…”

“Thank you, Sir,” said James.

“Thank you, Professor,” replied Lily.

“However, Miss Evans, as much as we know your story to be true, you should understand that the world outside these walls is no longer so simple,” Dumbledore said ominously.

“What do you mean, Professor?” Lily asked.

“That if we can’t absolutely prove the actions of Mr. Mulciber and Mr. Nott, then I will have no choice but to let them walk freely.”

“I’m sorry, what?,” Lily said, a caustic tone to her voice that James had never heard her take in front of a professor.

“The Mulciber and Nott families belong to the board, they are very powerful and influential. We shall work hard to prove they did it, Miss Evans, but I need you to be aware that there is a real possibility they won’t be punished at all...”

“No! I’m sorry, Professor, did you hear what I said?,” Lily answered, getting up from her chair in a rush. “They used an Unforgivable on me! They kidnapped and attempted to murder children! They were going to rape me!,” she yelled, slamming Dumbledore’s desk.

“What!?,” James asked, outraged and close to yelling himself. “They were going to rape you? I’m gonna kill them myself-”

“Not now James, please!,” Lily begged. She put her hand on her face, closing her eyes and swaying a bit, all fight suddenly drained from her. Professor McGonagall had put her hands on the young witch’s shoulder, her intervention stopping the commotion.

“Mr. Potter, will you escort Miss Evans to the Hospital Wing, please?,” she asked.

“Of course, Professor.”

“I think this discussion should continue another time, the most important thing right now is to guarantee everyone’s safety,” McGonagall said, looking sternly at everyone in the room. At last, she took one of Lily’s hands into both of her own, squeezing it. “You were very brave today, my dear. A true Gryffindor. I am very proud,” she told Lily, and James saw something, some kind of understanding he couldn’t quite reach, pass between the witches as they both nodded solemnly to each other before both students walked out of the Headmaster’s office. 

* * *

 

Her school uniform stuck to her body and wet hair clung to her face as she stood beneath the shower fully clothed. She felt cold, goosebumps running through her before the water turned warm. After a good while under the dull lull of the water, she started taking of her clothes, discarding the white shirt, the black skirt, the everyday underwear. She scrubbed herself furiously, nails digging on the naked skin, as if by cleaning her body she could clean the experience out of her.

With a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, Lily bumped her head on the bathroom wall, finally allowing herself to cry, her forehead hitting the green tiles as she sobbed.

* * *

 

“Hey,” Lily said, her voice sounding shy, not her usual commanding self, as she appeared in the doorway, hair wet and clad in a sweater so big it almost covered the edge of her shorts. She appeared to be taking in James’ lanky frame settled comfortably on their common room couch while he waited for her.

He had been surprised that Madam Pomfrey had let the redhead out of her sight. The older witch had such a motherly stubbornness about her - there was usually very little room to argue, and he would have bet his Nimbus 1000 that she would have kept Lily in the Hospital Wing overnight, since she had hit her head.

Well, he was very glad not to have to give up his broom.

Lily Evans had managed to bullshit her way out of the Hospital Wing like a pro Marauder, charming Madam Pomfrey and convincing her that _really, sleeping on her own bed would be paramount for her own recovery._ With promises that she would head back to the Wing the second she felt anything, Lily walked back to her own dormitory with a healed forehead and worried James beside her.

“Hey,” he answered back at her with a small smile that was meant to be reassuring. And it was.

“Sorry for taking so long in there,” she apologized, indicating the bathroom door with her thumb as she made her way to where he was sitting in the couch. “You probably wanted to use the shower too after that freezing dip in the lake.”

“Nah, it’s okay. I went back to the Gryffindor dorm and grabbed a quick shower while you were in there.”

“Oh. Well, thanks for waiting for me here, then,” she said a bit tentatively as she sat on the couch beside him. She did not know what she expected him to do, hadn’t really thought about anything as the water hit her so hard that on any other occasion it would have hurt. But she discovered that she was really grateful he was there.

“Of course,” he said. He’d never leave her alone on a night like this, not after what she been through. Especially after what she said on Dumbledore’s office. If it were up to him, he’d be by her side always, anyway.

“Your skin… is really pink,” he added after a beat, after noticing the colour of her arms where the sleeves of her sweater had ridden up.

“Yeah,” she answered self-consciously looking down as she tugged the sleeves. “I guess I just…”

“Hey, Hey, Lily. Lily. Look at me,” he said, interrupting her, reaching for her chin so he could make her look at him.  “It’s okay,” he reassured her, hazel eyes looking at her intently.

“James?,” she said, smiling softly after he had let go of her chin.

“Hm?”

“It was really amazing what you did for me today. I know I haven’t always been the nicest person to you…”

“I think your words were ‘you are an arrogant toe rag, Potter, and if your head gets any bigger it will be seen from space’,” he said, laughing.

“Hey!,” she admonished him for interrupting her, swatting him lightly on the shoulder.

“But I guess I deserved that.”

“Yeah, I guess you did,” Lily said, a playful tone on her voice. “Still…,” she continued, back to being serious. “Once upon a time, I said some not-so-nice things about you and here you are proving me wrong. So thank you, really.”

“Anytime, Lily,” he nodded.

“How did you find me, anyway?” she asked, her brow frowning as she looked puzzled.

“Ah! Now, that’s for me to now and you to find out, isn’t it?,” he teased, a smirk spreading across his features.

“Seriously?,” she protested indignantly.

“Yep. I solemnly swear,” he shrugged.

“I can’t believe you’re not gonna tell me!”

“What can I say, Evans? James Potter has his secrets…”

“Well, I can see that!,” she exclaimed, a bit surprised that he wouldn’t tell her, but not exactly displeased. In fact, she might be growing curious.

“Listen,” Lily said. “I’d really like it for us to be better friends. I know we’ve been hanging out a bit and all, but I guess… well, I guess what I mean is that, I’d like to consider you a real friend now, if you want,” she proposed. He had been so nice to her, had been doing so much for everyone, had been dedicating himself to that school and to protecting those students. They ate together, studied together, patrolled together, talked and hung out. It was about time she acknowledged that out loud.

James eyed Lily’s elegant hand with trepidation. He didn’t really think he would ever be able to be just _real friends_ with her, not in his heart. But that was what she was offering - and it was a sincere/genuine offer, more than she had ever done so in the past. Her green eyes, as bright as any, were shiny and expectant and her small smile brimmed with anticipation. So he took her soft palm in his calloused one, shaking firmly and sharing in her smile as he answered: “Real friends it is, Lils. It’s a pleasure. You didn’t have to worry about it, though.” And this was true. While he had noticed her demeanour towards him softening, he hadn’t been worried about labeling it until just now. He hoped they would work it out, one way or another.

The awkward silence and lingering hand holding was interrupted by three figures barging into the small common room. Lily was _almost_ grateful for having been spared from having to reply. She hoped James was too distracted to notice her reaction.

“Lily! Merlin, we were so worried about you!” Aubrey yelled as she quickly crossed the distance to the sofa with her athletic legs. She sat on the couch right beside Lily, hugging her tightly.

“My God, I’m so glad you’re okay!” Mary said, joining the hug and patting Lily up and down, as if to see if she was all there. “I’m sorry I didn’t notice anything was wrong… I should have been there to help!”

“Don’t be silly, Mary. There was no reason you should have noticed anything wrong. They were smart about it,” Lily answered, as much as it hurt her to admit it. “I’m just happy we all made it out okay. We did made it out okay, didn’t we?” She asked, a hint of panic seeping into her voice. “How are the children, Aubrey? James said they were with you.”

“Yeah, they’re okay. I mean, as okay as they can be,” Aubrey answered, looking down briefly, her voice changing tone in a midst of sadness and anger. “They’re pretty shaken up about it. But I took them to Madam Pomfrey immediately and none of them had any injuries bigger than a few small cuts. They’re sleeping in the infirmary under a calming draught.”

Lily nodded. “And Nott and Mulciber?”

“No news yet,” she replied, her full lips curling in distaste. “Remus chased after them while I got the children, but he lost them at the Forest.”

“He’s with Dumbledore and McGonagall now,” Sirius said, speaking calmly for the first time since entering the room and standing by the corner. “Darrow and Flitwick are searching the grounds for them. He asked me to give you this,” he approached them, taking the wooden object out of his pocket and extending it to her.

“My wand! I thought I lost it!” Lily exclaimed gleefully as she took the piece in her hands and clutched it to her chest in relief.

“Moony found it at the rock near the lake. You must have dropped it before you fell,” Sirius explained.

“Thank you.”

“Wormy is expecting Remus to provide emotional support, but he sends his love and wishes that you are well. And so do I,” the long-haired boy said, his teasing tone and elaborate words not hiding his sincere manner and fondness in his eyes.

“Then thank _wormy_ for me. And thank you, Pads,” she said smiling and blowing him a soft kiss.

“We thought we could sleep here with you tonight,” proposed Mary. “Is that okay?”

“We can _Engorgio_ the bed to fit the three of us!,” Said Aubrey excitedly.

“I’d love that,” Lily answered, a sincere laugh blooming on her chest. She’d have to _Engorgio_ the bed, or else Aubrey would certainly find a way to turn into a flamingo or make it grow wings - a simple charm spell is too boring for her.

“Great!,” announced Mary.

“Hey, Lily?,” James called her, gesturing gently for her to come with him as he got up from the sofa and took a step backwards.

“Yeah?,” she said, approaching him to the side.

“I know the girls are going to be with you, but can you do me a favour?”

“Sure.”

“If you feel sick, or… bad, or anything, will you call me?” he asked, his hazel eyes searching hers.

Lily smiled, her cheeks turning pink with his concern for her. Damn James Potter. Such a sweet boy.

“Promise,” she answered softly as she reached for his hand and gave it a warm, reassuring squeeze. She released him quickly, turning her back to him and walking towards her room with the girls.

“Did I just see you squeeze James Potter’s hand?” Mary teased as soon as she shut the door, the polished wood turning into a barrier between the three girls in the room and the two boys outside.

“Shut up, Mare. He saved my ass, today,” Lily answered seriously.

“That he did… Good boy, huh?” Mary said.

“How come you just made that sound so dirty?” Lily asked, amused.

“Yeah, that’s usually my job!” Aubrey interjected in outrage, causing them all to giggle.

“Feels good to laugh,” said Lily.

“Feels good to see you laugh, love,” added Aubrey, running her fingers through Lily’s red locks.

“C’mon, let’s go to bed,” Mary said as she sat on her friends’ bed and tapped the mattress beside her. “We can cuddle and talk about Lily’s new crush.”

“I hate you two so much!” Lily announced in faux rage as she threw herself on the bed near Mary and put a pillow over her head.

* * *

 

It was one of those rare occasions when Bella came to him for sex. He knew from the start of their marriage to never seek her out, it only irritated her, and an irritated Bella made for an unhappy Rodolphus. He didn’t miss it that much anyway. It wasn’t the reason he married her.

As with everything when it came to his wife, it was intense. She would not merely scratch him with her fingernails as she grabbed for his flesh, but dig deep until she drew blood.

Rodolphus laid satisfied in bed, observing a naked Bellatrix sitting in the chair of her dressing table and lazily untangling her curls when they heard a timid knock on their bedroom door.

Rodolphus threw Bellatrix a questioning look, who just frowned and shrugged dismissively. Not minding her modesty, she signalled for him to answer the door.

“What could possibly justify you coming to our room without being summoned, you creature?,” Rodolphus asked the tinny, mistreated house-elf at the door.

“Tilly is most sorry, sir and ma'am, most sorry! Tilly will punish herself most severely! But she did not know what to do, for there are visitors downstairs. One of them is hurt too, ma’am!”

“Visitors? At this hour? And hurt? Who are these impolite scum who have come to bled on my carpets, you little idiot? Or have you not asked for their names?” Bellatrix asked.

“They claim to be called Mr. Nott and Mr. Mulciber, ma’am. Should I let them into the sitting room or ask them to leave the premises?”

“You can take them to the sitting room. Rodolphus and I will be downstairs in a minute.”

“Nott? Mulciber?,” Rodolphus looked questioningly at Bellatrix as he pulled on his robes.

“Possible new recruits. The ones the Dark Lord asked me to start picking at Hogwarts,” she answered, putting on a housecoat. “Apparently stupid ones,” she decided, her face twisted in disgust.

“Yeah, well… we should probably go see what happened,” Rodolphus proposed, opening the door of their room and gesturing for his wife to go first. Always a gentleman.

“I know. Little baby’s hurt!” Bellatrix’s said, her face contorting in a mockery of pity as she uttered the last sentence in a voice that was much more venom than sugar, and her husband laughed as they went down the stairs.

Nott was holding Mulciber on the Lestrange’s sofa, the latter’s left arm split open into a wound that that went all the way to his hip bone.

“Help! Please! We didn’t know where else to go, I don’t know how to heal him,” Nott said desperately. The boy had gashes on his cheek and was breathing with difficulty, but Mulciber – being stupider or slower – looked like he had taken the brunt of whoever or whatever had assaulted them. From the look on Bellatrix’s face, she looked ready to Crucio both of them for fun.

“And how did you get hurt like that?,” Bellatrix said, her finger pressing Mulciber’s wound as he howled in pain.

“Mrs. Lestrange,” Nott pleaded again. “Help. Please. We’ll do anything you want.”

What a foolish thing to say. That was a dangerous offer to make to anyone, especially to his wife. But it didn't look like they had much of a choice - his friend clearly could not heal him and for whatever reason it didn't look like they had anywhere else to go.

Bellatrix frowned, seeming to consider the boy’s words as her husband called her name, bringing her back from her thoughts so she could share her decision.

“Bella…”

“Oh, alright. But be glad you caught me in such a generous mood!,” She said, as she waved her wand, healing Mulciber as Rodolphus ordered some tea and biscuits.

“Now, would you two be so kind as to explain to why you came to bleed on our living room sofa tonight, as I am sure that was not in my wife's instructions?," Rodolphus prompted, causing Mulciber and Nott to look at each other in apprehension.

"I'm not a patient person, you know. I'd start talking if I were you," Bellatrix said, reaching for her tea as she sat beside her husband looking dangerously at them.

Nott took a deep breath and, to his credit, looked Bellatrix in the eye while he started explaining: "We've had a few problems with the plan..."


End file.
